Where Dwell the Brave at Heart (2009)
by Scandalacious Intentions
Summary: Lupin and Sirius sort through some old school photographs...
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** **It's not mine and my lawyer would like to say that whatever I told people, it should be taken into account that I was on pain medication at the time.**

**A/N: So this takes place during that Christmas in OotP and this is for EmmaLeighx. These are a series of one-shots but they're not all in chronological order. I'm aiming for one a week until late December because it's the cheapest present to date and you know what I'm like for a bargain…**

Sirius Black had always been hard to buy for and he'd known he would be from the moment he first met him so Lupin wondered why he was surprised to find himself reduced to flicking through old school photographs in a desperate plea for inspiration.

He began to wonder why he had taken any of these pictures. They didn't mark any momentous events. Some were just taken on a whim because, as Sirius had urged, "Impromptu photos are fun Remus. Try and live a little." and so he had. He had taken one of his friends mid-conversation which resulted in a picture of three angry twelve year old wizards, staring up at him and rolling their eyes. He could never explain that they were taken as memories so that when they all figured it out and abandoned him, he could have actual evidence that the past year had not been a dream.

Some, like the picture of the four of them trying to impersonate each other (although he had to admit that Pettigrew had done a terrible job of James) made him smile in a way that he hadn't done in years. Some, like the picture Sirius had taken of himself, Lupin and James on the Hogwarts Express just before they all disappeared out of one another's lives for six weeks of their first summer holiday, resulted in the blinking away of tears that threatened to fall. Some, like the picture of Peter in their last year with his arms around James and Lily, made him want to hit something…_hard_… preferably Pettigrew. Others, such as the picture of himself and Sirius in the hospital wing while Remus's broken leg was waiting to be set, were embarrassing in the extreme and made him glad that he was the only one who knew of the existence of said photographs. At the same time, that was wrong somehow.

"Perfect." Lupin muttered.

_____________________________________________________________________

"Hey! Remus!"

Lupin swung round nearly dropping the box in his arms. Harry noticed that whatever it contained was preventing its lid from closing and Lupin was clutching them together. He had a feeling that the minute Lupin let go, its contents would spill out but then he saw the red bow that bound the two together.

"Merry Christmas Harry."

Watching Harry leap down the stairs, beaming, was such a contrast from the weeping Molly Weasley that Lupin beamed in response, not really knowing why.

"I just wanted to say thanks. The book's great, it's absolutely perfect."

Lupin gave him a knowing half-smile. "I thought it might come in handy. What with the trouble that seems to find you wherever you go."

Harry emitted a sound that could have been the lovechild of a laugh and a sigh. "And um…have you seen Sirius? I've got his present."

"No but oddly enough I was just trying to give him mine."

"GOD REST YE MERRY HIPPOGRIFFS!"

Lupin smirked. "He just _might_ be with Buckbeak."

Harry fell into step with his former teacher turned mentor and friend and continued to sneak wary looks at the box in Lupin's arms. It looked like something Hagrid would give to someone. Harry supposed he was being unfair; _Hagrid's_ gift would have eaten its way out by now.

"What is it?" Harry asked, finally giving in to his curiosity.

Lupin grinned. "It's a surprise; for you as much as Sirius."

Harry laughed. Lupin and surprises were as much synonyms of one another as Snape and Santa Claus.

"For who as much as me?" asked Sirius, closing the door just to Lupin's right.

"Me." replied Harry, confused and decidedly unnerved by the wide grin that was slowly spreading across Lupin's tired, grey features.

Lupin handed over the box and watched Sirius register the fact that his Christmas present from his only remaining best friend…was a _box_.

"Well Remus, what can I say? You really have out-done yourself this year. You knew _just_ what I wanted."

"Stop pretending to be stupid and open it." replied Lupin, still smug.

Harry barely had time to ask, "Are you sure that's such a good idea?" before pictures flew to the far corners of the corridor.

Sirius dropped the box and slowly turned to face Lupin who was now smiling sheepishly.

"To be fair Sirius, I didn't say you had to do it straight away."


	2. In which Peter tells all

Disclaimer: See prologue

**Shortly after Harry returned from St. Mungo's, he found himself sat on the rickety sofa in Grimauld Place's living room. On his right sat Sirius and a now full box and on his left, Lupin whose amusement was obvious. **

"**I wanted you to see some of these." said Sirius, handing Harry the box. **

**Harry accepted it, gingerly as though it was about to explode and pulled out a photograph, showing a much younger looking Lupin, laughing and crying, a look of sheer incredulity on his face. They sat in what Harry recognised as the Gryffindor boys dormitory on the bed next to the window which was so obviously Lupin's as books littered its immediate area. Lupin sat in the centre of the bed, his back against the wall. Harry's father sat beside him, smiling and occasionally wrapping an arm around Lupin. Sirius sat on Lupin's left and talked animatedly.**

"**What happened to you?" Harry asked Lupin, not taking his eyes from the moving photograph in front of him.**

_**1972**_

_**Lupin lay on his front, avidly reading **_**Transfiguration Today **_**and trying to ignore the raucous laughter downstairs. The full moon was approaching and not only did he have to think up an ingenious new reason to be away on the twenty-first but he also had to study; Lupin liked catching up in advance.**_

_**Peter slammed the door behind him and leant against it. He looked even more flustered than usual. His hands played with the end of his red and gold striped scarf. His teeth chattered and not as a result of the bitter cold.**_

"_**Remus, I'm sorry."**_

_**Lupin frowned. "Sorry? For what?"**_

_**He didn't have to wait long. Sirius pushed open the door and flung Peter across the room where he hugged the wall for quite some time. James soon followed, looking as furious as his best friend but a lot less feral.**_

"_**What do you think we are Lupin? Stupid?" snapped Sirius.**_

_**He had never called him Lupin; not since they'd been friends anyway. Loopy, Loony, Remmy…Lupin had had the lot but never Lupin, not since their very first Charms class when they had been sat together.**_

"_**What?"**_

"_**Stop pretending to be stupid and tell me why the bloody hell you've been lying to us for years!"**_

_**Lupin gulped. For a moment he believed he was going to be sick. He had lost the only friends he had ever had. This had to be Peter. Peter was sorry. Peter wasn't as sorry as he was going to be.**_

"_**I don't know what you mean." Lupin managed to lie.**_

_**Sirius made a noise of disgust and flung himself onto his bed, drawing the curtains around him. **_

"_**We know Remus." said James, quietly. He had obviously noticed the fear in Lupin's eyes and his anger had melted away. "Peter's known for weeks."**_

_**Peter twitched and made small and unassuming sounds from the other side of the room. "I didn't mean to Remus…"**_

_**Words failed him. This was it then. Lupin had been anticipating this day from the very moment he had met James and Sirius. It had lasted longer than he had thought. That was a start. "How?"**_

_**Peter startled to mumble incoherently. Lupin picked out the words; "Defence…Arts… essay…werewolves…tree…shack." before his legs gave out and he fell back onto his bed.**_

"_**Why didn't you tell us?"**_

"_**Because I didn't want to have to leave." Lupin muttered. **_

_**Sirius threw back his curtains with such force that Lupin wondered how they had not been ripped off.**_

"_**You think we'd demand you leave school because you're a werewolf?" he asked, bluntly making Lupin wince.**_

"_**That's what everybody else has done, my whole life."**_

"_**You can't have met many decent people." James told him, sitting beside him.**_

_**Sirius copied the gesture. "Sorry Loopy."**_

"_**You mean, you still want to be my friends? Even though I've got…"**_

"_**A furry little problem?" asked James. "Of course we do. Listen Remus, you're our best friend and if you were going to kill me…you'd have killed me by now and that's when you're in your **_**right**_** mind."**_

"_**Besides," agreed Sirius, wrapping an arm around Lupin who couldn't seem to decide whether to laugh hysterically or weep. "I'd fail Charms without you and then where would my Auror career go?"**_

_**The three of them laughed, picturing Mrs. Black's response to her son's ambitions.**_

_**CLICK!**_

"_**Peter! Put my camera down!"**_

"_**Yeah Peter!" quipped James. "Sirius hasn't fixed his hair or anything." **_

_**CLICK!**_


	3. In which Lupin plays Cupid

Disclaimer: See prologue

Please review. I know loads of you have put this on story alert and thank you for that. A little feedback would really be appreciated. Thanks. Candy ~

**Harry gazed at the photograph in wonder. It was one of the oddest things he had ever seen and that included the Weasley's ghoul…although that was in a league all of its own.**

**His mother tossed her hair and scowled repeatedly. Sirius sat beside the lake, looking on in amusement. James stood directly in front of Lily and it appeared that they were in the middle of a heated argument. Peter stood slightly behind James, a smile threatening to break out. Harry assumed Lupin had taken the photograph as he was no-where to be seen.**

_1975_

"_Moony please."_

_Lupin sighed and marked his page, wondering why he had come down to the lake in the first place. He should have known they wouldn't let him study but he had been persuaded by Sirius's promise to keep quiet and test him. "James, I'm trying to study. I have my Defence O.W.L. tomorrow, so do _you_ for that matter. Perhaps you ought to get your priorities right."_

"_If you do this for me Remus, I swear…I'll leave you alone."_

_That was too tempting for words. James took advantage of his friend's hesitation. "Thanks Moony, you're a true friend."_

"_I don't know why you bother." said Sirius in the same clipped drawl he reserved for conversations centring around Lily Evans. "If she's said no to you once Prongs, she's no a hundred times."_

"_I think," began Lupin, finding amusement in flicking through the chapter on recognising a werewolf. "That poor love-sick James is working on the theory that eventually she will be so harassed that she'll accept just to stop him asking her all the damn time."_

"_You're cleverer than you look." said James with a smile. "And that's saying something."_

_Peter tittered and Lupin rolled his eyes. "James, what do you want me to do? What do you think I'm capable of, miracles? I don't think it's going to make any difference who asks her, at the end of the day, it'll still be _you_ she's dating."_

_Sirius fell back onto the grass in laughter. "Gee Moony, you really know how to make a guy feel good about himself."_

"_Now you owe me, see?"_

_Lupin did not look amused. He returned to his book and began muttering about Boggarts and Red-Caps and all the ways in which to identify them. _

"_Remus, that's stuff we did years ago." said Sirius, snatching the book with cat-like reflexes. "I don't know why you bother, you've never failed an exam in your life."_

_Lupin didn't attempt to take it back. His face was set as he held out his hand for the book. Sirius handed it back to him, frightened that Lupin would remain in "prefect-mode" for the rest of the day if he didn't._

"_I've never failed an exam because I _work_ for them Sirius. Look it up, it _is_ in the dictionary_."

_James sat beside him, peering into Lupin's peripheral vision, knowing it would irritate him into submission. Lupin sighed and threw down the book._

"_Moony, I will personally entertain him for the rest of the day. Please. You're the only one she can stand."_

"_What do I have to say?"_

_The other three cheered and though he tried to refrain from smiling, Lupin couldn't stop himself grinning as his friends showed their appreciation for his lack of willpower._

_He found Lily sitting nearby and cringed. She stood, already knowing why he was there._

"_Remus?"_

"_Um…hello."_

_To an outsider, the exchange was perfectly pleasant. It may have looked as though Lupin was asking her out himself. His arm snaked around his neck, as was his want when he was nervous, and he leant on his right leg. His lips were pressed tightly together and his brow furrowed._

"_Can I help you?" she finally asked._

_Her almond shaped eyes had now shrunk to emerald slits._

"_Um…yes. James was wondering-"_

_Lily sighed. "If this is him asking me out again then you can tell him from me that it hasn't worked for the past three years and it won't start now."_

"_Okay. Don't shoot the messenger."_

"_He ought to come over and ask himself if he cares that much."_

_Lupin's mouth twitched as though he was about to smile. "Well, to be honest Lily, you haven't told him where to go either."_

_Lily opened her mouth to protest._

"_I mean not to his face." stammered Lupin, wishing he had just kept his mouth shut._

"_Right. Where is he then?"_

_Lupin gave a nervous laugh and rubbed his neck harder. "Um…I don't know."_

"_Yes you do. Oh look, I think I see his head. It's not hard to miss; the size of it."_

_She marched towards him and Lupin trailed behind, wishing James had sent Sirius whose charm would have calmed her already, or better yet…told her himself._

_It came as a shock to James as he lay beside Sirius, to find Lily's shadow looming over him. He sat up, smiling graciously._

"_I knew if anyone could do it, it would be Remus." squealed Peter, who looked as though he was about to wet himself with excitement._

_Lupin didn't look so confident in his match-making ability. Sirius sat up, leaning back on his arms which were splayed out behind him. _

_Lily smiled sweetly and James leapt to his feet. Lupin bit his bottom lip as Sirius smirked and Peter scrambled up to stand just behind James._

"_Hey Evans."_

"_Hello Pervert."_

_Sirius caught Lupin's eye and both were soon beside themselves with laughter. _

"_Excuse me?"_

"_You heard me Potter. Let me get this through to your thick skull. I wouldn't go out with you if you were the last man on earth. You are arrogant. You are rude. You have no dignity and you think you are God's gift."_

"_Evans, try and see this my way…"_

"_I would try and see it from your point of view Potter but I'm afraid I can't get my head that far up my own arse."_

_CLICK!_

"_Remus put that bloody camera down!"_


	4. In which Sirius has a feather problem

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

The setting of the next photograph, Harry recognised as the Charms corridor. Three boys walked beside one another, though there was barely room to do so. Sirius's arm was draped around Lupin's shoulders. Lupin's expression continually alternated between anxious and elated. James's features occasionally warped into an exact replica of Harry's look of concentration.

"What's up with my dad's face?"

Lupin laughed. "He's trying to balance my camera. We wanted to get all three of us in the picture."

"So where's Pettigrew?"

"We didn't really know him then." explained Sirius. He made a half-arsed attempt to keep the bitterness from his voice which both Lupin and Harry immediately saw through.

"How old were you?"

Harry thought this was a perfectly valid question. Lupin's face was a little rounder and his hair was completely auburn. In truth, he looked about seven. Sirius, who was by far the tallest of the trio, already had the makings of his striking good looks and didn't look any younger than Harry at fifteen. James looked an awful lot younger than Sirius but in comparison to the beaming Lupin, seemed positively middle aged.

"That was our first day at Hogwarts. We'd just come out of Charms."

"Yeah. I guessed. Do you know, I'm beginning to think you're bipolar Remus." laughed Harry, studying the picture of the three laughing eleven year olds.

_1971_

_Charms would always remain Sirius's least favourite subject. The only other lesson that would ever even came close to that level of horrific was Care of Magical Creatures, mainly because he _didn't_ care. He couldn't understand. He was clever, everyone had always told him he was clever and very able and yet he couldn't make a feather lift off his desk. He wanted to hit it. It was obviously an unwilling feather._

"_Er…Professor?" said Sirius, raising his hand. "Would it be possible to have a different feather."_

"_What's the matter with it Mister Black?"_

"_Well I have reason to believe that this one hates me sir."_

_James laughed but Professor Flitwick pursed his lips and moved on. Sirius sighed._

_It didn't help that the baby-faced know-it-all he had been sat beside already had his feather twirling round his head within the first five minutes. Sirius was sure Flitwick would do himself an injury if he continued to show the same level of excitement every time Romulus Alpine or whatever his name was, was mentioned._

"_Wingardium Leviosa!"_

_He glanced across the room and was relieved to see that James was still staring mournfully down at his motionless feather too. He heard the faint cough of the dark eyed boy on his right and turned to face him._

"_Yeah?"_

"_Um…Sirius, right?"_

_Sirius nodded. When had he told this kid that he could call him by his first name?_

"_Right. Well you…you're um…you're putting emphasis on the…er…the wrong syllable. It's Levi_o_sa, not Levio_sa_."_

_Sirius raised an eyebrow but emboldened by Sirius's lack of rebuff, Lupin continued to do what he did best, educate. Within ten minutes Sirius's feather would have done the tango had it been asked. Sirius's grin stretched across his whole face. From the other side of the room, James looked on, outraged. With the exception of the Alpine kid, he was the only one to have managed to charm his feather to float and Sirius found he rather liked the feeling of triumph. It felt good to be talked about for reasons other than his obvious distance from the rest of his family._

"_So what's your name again?" asked Sirius, feeling terrible. The boy had sat in the same carriage as he and James. They had shared a dormitory. He was sure now that Romulus was wrong. It didn't roll off the tongue as easily as he remembered the actual name doing so._

_Lupin smiled bitterly to himself. "Remus." he replied. "Remus Lupin."_

"_Remus." said Sirius, clicking his fingers. "I knew it was something like that. I've been mentally referring to you as Romulus for the last fifteen minutes."_

_Remus Lupin smiled. "Oh. I remembered you. Although, you are quite memorable and I remember things like that, tiny details. I remember all your family were in Slytherin. I remember how much you said you wanted to be in Gryffindor. I remember you said you hung a Sneakoscope over your door and it would go off every time your mother walked past."_

_Sirius laughed at the memory and slowly his face twisted into an expression of fear. "Hey, you remember all that?"_

"_I remember all the trivial things that are said to me, things I think I'll need to remember or that will come in useful. Don't worry though. I never say anything to anyone."_

_Sirius decided the best thing to do was to pretend this conversation never took place and began to whisper the incantation to send his feather floating once more. He stared hard at the desk, as though trying to burn holes in it. He heard Lupin cough again but this time his Charms partner had the decency to look slightly embarrassed._

"_You're um…doing it again. It's your emphasis. If you get it right then you'll find it easy. You've already done it once."_

_Sirius beamed as his feather slowly rose above his head. "Thanks Lupin."_

_Lupin seemed taken-aback. "Oh…it's…no problem."_

"_So," said Sirius, lowering both his wand and his feather. "What do you friends call you? It's really hard to shorten Remus and two syllables is too many."_

_Lupin gave a small, nervous laugh. His left arm clutched his right elbow and he looked in the opposite direction. If he said anything about it then Sirius would wonder what the hell was wrong with him. A person did not get to eleven years old and not have any friends._

"_I um…I don't have any friends."_

_Sirius's mouth opened almost wide enough to catch dragons and then curled into a smirk. "No, you probably scared them away with your 'I remember' speech."_

_Lupin bit his lip. "I just don't think I'm very likeable."_

"_What are you, mad? _I_ like you. That's what I'll call you, Loopy. You don't mind, do you? I mean, we _are _friends right?"_

_Lupin cringed and groaned inwardly. Loopy, anything but Loopy. He was jolted out of Lupin-land by the last question. Friends would really only make things ten times more difficult and he was dangerous for them. On the other hand, it would be nice to have a friend for once; especially one as admired and sought after as Sirius Black. Gosh, that would make him…_popular_._

"_Yeah…if you _want_ to be."_

_Sirius smiled. That was his good deed for the day done. "Of course I want to be. I wouldn't ask you otherwise, would I?"_

_The remainder of the hour was spent sharing information that Sirius felt he was bound to regret sharing with Lupin and his enviable memory. The more he got to know Lupin, the more he liked him. Lupin, beneath the studious and shy exterior, was witty and did a lot of crazy things; not as many as _he _did but enough to make Remus Lupin seem worthy of the title 'Marauder', a term he and James had discovered last night and thought suited them and really, Remus was shabby enough to carry off a term that used to mean "vagabond"._

_The bell signalled the end of their last class of the day and James sauntered over to Sirius's seat, throwing his bag onto the desk, rendering the feather Flitwick had hoped to keep for future use, useless._

"_Oh, James this is Remus Lupin but we're going to call him Loopy, because he _is_." said Sirius as they were shooed out of the classroom._

"_I remember. You were with us on the train yesterday, weren't you?"_

_Remus nodded, pleased that his presence had been noted by _someone_. "Yeah. You're James Potter and your father was in Gryffindor too, wasn't he?"_

_James froze and raised an eyebrow. He looked over at Sirius who was laughing to himself._

"_Er…Remus, you might want to start introductions with a fact about _yourself_."_

_Remus, abashed, took James's outstretched hand and shook it. "I'm Remus and um…"_

_Sirius rolled his eyes. "This is Remus and he is disturbingly clever. He has an amazing memory which will no doubt lead to embarrassment for us. He's very funny but he's quite shy too and _very _self-depreciating. His hobbies are reading and photography and he always has his camera."_

_James beamed. "Hi, I'm James and…I wish I could get him to say things like that about _me_."_

_All three of them laughed and Sirius took it upon himself to rummage in Lupin's bag in the middle of a busy corridor and eventually pulled out a camera. _

"_No." warned Lupin. "I look terrible in them and I never take photographs of people, they're really difficult to develop."_

_Sirius laughed and tossed the camera to James who caught it with ease and positioned it._

"_Loopy, you can go in the middle so you can't escape."_

_Lupin rolled his eyes but laughed with the others when Sirius copied the gesture, adding an exasperated sigh that summed up how Lupin felt as he resigned himself to the fact that he would probably be featuring in a lot more of these pictures. _

_CLICK!_

"_But that's the _last_ one."_

"_Don't be stupid Loopy. It's the _first_."_


	5. In which Sirius is free

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A/N: Huge thank you to EmmaLeighx, safarigirl83, Dawn96 and Broken Gold for your amazing reviews.**

**And now on with the fic…**

"This one's outside." exclaimed Harry, slightly bewildered, recognising Grimmauld Place in the background. "What were you doing?" he asked, noting Sirius's trunk.

He watched as the teenaged Sirius punched the air and Lupin grabbed a long arm to hold him still while he took the photograph. Lupin did not look at all impressed whereas Sirius appeared to have been told that all his Christmases had come at once.

"My first picture as a free man." said Sirius, beaming.

"A free man? This is _well _before-"

"I know. I meant I moved out. I was free from my odd mother and her disturbing views and I faced the prospect of three days at Remus's mother's delightful little cottage and the rest of the year with the Potters who had offered to put me up. Do you blame me? I mean, no wonder I was excited."

The Lupin in the photograph continued to become more exasperated as Sirius's gestures became more dramatic.

"What was the matter with you?" Harry asked Lupin who laughed bitterly.

"What _wasn't _the matter with me? Needless to say, I wasn't particularly welcome in the Black household."

Harry understood at once and quickly changed the subject. "Where are Pettigrew and my dad?"

"Your father was on holiday in France and Wormtail was too afraid of my mother."

_1976_

"_I don't know why I'm here."_

_Sirius ran to Lupin and embraced him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."_

"_I'm sure you could have lasted the extra three days."_

_Sirius laughed. "Oh you have no idea what it's like in there. Are you sure your mother doesn't mind?"_

"_Hell no. She's still a bit overwhelmed that I actually have friends to care when any of you show up for a few days."_

"_After six years?"_

_Lupin shrugged. "I didn't have friends for _eleven_ years. Give her a break."_

"_Fair enough. Come on in."_

_Sirius opened the door to reveal a long, dark passageway. Lupin peered in and raised his eyebrows._

"_I know. It's like something out of a gothic novel."_

"_Yes. Your mother has impeccable taste. Look, are you sure I'm allowed in."_

_Sirius laughed. "Of course you're not _allowed _in; you're a half-blood werewolf."_

"_Oh your mother sounds delightful."_

_Sirius doubled up with laughter. "Now follow me. Don't forget, whatever you do, don't take off your shoes and try and stamp on the new carpet as often as possible."_

_Lupin reluctantly closed the door behind him and gazed up at a display of house-elf heads on the wall beside the stairs. He wasn't entirely convinced that he would not be joining them by the end of the afternoon and power walked up the looming staircase after Sirius and into a vast bedroom decorated with Gryffindor banners and large posters of scantily clad Muggle girls. _

"_I'm beginning to think Lily was right about you and Prongs. The pair of you are sex obsessed."_

_Sirius raised his eyebrows. "I'm beginning to question your sexuality."_

"_Oh yes…and what about Anna?"_

_Sirius's mouth dropped open. "Anna? Who the hell is Anna?"_

_Lupin bit his lip and muttered; "She's always in the library. You know, sits at the back of the common room."_

"_Oh yes, fat Annie."_

"_Stop calling her that. You're not funny."_

_Sirius laughed, obviously thinking he _was_, until the sounds of his mother in the hallway threw him back into his packing with renewed vigour. He swallowed his laughter at the sight of Lupin who was now stiff as a board and petrified._

"_Er…Padfoot, would it be possible for you to hurry it up a little? Tell you what, I'll pack your books for you."_

"_You know I have no intention of taking half of those."_

"_Exactly. That's why I'm packing them for you." said Lupin, smirking as he added _Hogwarts: A History_ to the trunk._

_Sirius turned to inspect the growing pile of books in the bottom of his school trunk. "Remus, I don't even do Care of Magical Creatures anymore."_

"_You never know when you might need it." replied Lupin, now trying to peel off a few banners from the wall. "Merlin Padfoot, what did you use on these things?"_

"_Huh? Oh, a sticking charm. My mother can't take them down and burn them then. I will be gone but not forgotten."_

"_Who _are_ you talking to?" snapped the voice of Mrs. Black, as she rapped the locked door of Sirius's bedroom._

"_My half-blood best friend." _

"_Alohamora."_

_The door swung open to reveal a tall, thin but strikingly beautiful woman. Her piercing blue eyes ran over Lupin. Her nose wrinkled in the same manner as her son's when he was thoroughly disgusted, and she scowled._

"_Out!"_

"_With pleasure." snapped Sirius, dragging his trunk past her._

_Lupin stood, frozen to the spot, listening to the sounds of Sirius storming down the stairs. He contemplated staring her out but thought better of it. _

"_REMUS! HURRY UP!"_

"_Excuse me." said Lupin, brushing past her and wishing she would stop glaring at him._

_The fresh air did wonders for Lupin's nervous system. He discovered he was now able to move properly and the temptation to test out his reflexes by smashing Sirius's face in was unbearable._

"_Why the hell did you have to go and say that?" he shouted. "You were _asking _for trouble!"_

"_Come on Remus, where's your sense of adventure?"_

"_I don't have one. You know that." _

_Sirius laughed. "Get your camera out. This is a moment to be recorded. I'm free."_

_This had evidently not quite sunk in because as soon as Sirius uttered these words, he leapt into the air and screamed nonsense at the top of his voice. Lupin looked around as though at any moment, the men from St. Mungo's would arrive and cart his friend off for mental testing._

_Lupin grabbed hold of any part of Sirius that he could reach while peering into the rucksack full of what Sirius and James had labelled "useless crap", for his beloved camera. Finally managing to catch hold of what he hoped was an arm, Lupin pulled Sirius down._

_CLICK!_

"_Can I have that picture?"_

"_Sure, as soon as I develop it. I'll frame it for you for Christmas."_

1995

"Took you a decent amount of Christmases Moony."

Lupin smiled. "I think the whole lot is compensation enough. In fact, I probably should have sorted through these. I get the feeling there are some in there that I really don't want _you _to have access to."

Sirius smirked in a manner that truly disturbed Harry.

Lupin reached for the box, obviously regretting handing his photo collection over to the man who had been renowned for his love of laughter and nothing would make Sirius laugh more than showing everyone he knew pictures of an emboldened 'fat Annie' and Lupin.


	6. In which Peter is forgotten

**Disclaimer: See prologue. **

**A/N: Two today. I like the last chapter a lot less than I should and my muse was on a role today so tah-dah…**

Two things were prominent in the next photograph. First and easiest to believe, Peter Pettigrew had been crying. His face was red and tear stains covered his cheeks. He rubbed his eyes but beamed at the camera which James held out as far as his arm would stretch in an attempt to get all four of them into the picture.

Secondly, the remaining Marauders all looked unquestionably guilty. Lupin in particular seemed on the verge of tears himself. Even James and Sirius were concerned. That said it all.

"It was Peter's birthday." said Lupin, quietly.

"And no bugger remembered." laughed Sirius.

Harry had the distinct feeling that that day still bothered Lupin. Lupin himself had always been discriminated against and forgotten by all but his parents in days before Hogwarts. Sirius, who had been the most memorable member of his immediate family, could never know how that felt and Harry wasn't sure whether his god-father was being cavalier about his own family's treatment of him as a blood traitor or genuinely couldn't give a damn about Pettigrew. After all that had happened, he couldn't blame him but from the pictures he had seen to date, Harry wondered if Sirius had _ever _really liked him all that much.

_1974_

_Peter lay on the floor in silence, writing the conclusion of what had been one of the longest essays to date with his spell-checker quill. Lupin sat behind him on his favourite armchair by the fire, reading _Hogwarts: A History.

"_Do you know that statue by the Defence Room?"_

_Peter nodded, looking mournful._

"_Peter, are you alright? You look…disgruntled."_

_Peter nodded again and returned to his essay. Lupin leant over and read it over Peter's shoulder._

"_Well it's not bad Pete but I don't ever remember being in a class called Care of Musical Cretins. Neither for that matter, is your name Pellet Fortescue."_

_Peter wailed and threw down his quill. "It's this bloody thing. I'm having a really bad day! And it's supposed to be the best day of the year but this one's been the worst of my life!"_

_Lupin raised his eyebrows. "That's a little melodramatic Peter, it's only a quill." he said, performing a charm that changed at least one word per sentence back to its original spelling and cleaned up the ink that Peter had splattered over it. "Here, borrow mine to finish it."_

"_Thanks Remus."_

"_You know, if I were you, I would have some chocolate. Whenever I feel like going into hibernation, chocolate always perks me up."_

_Peter merely dissolved into more tears, causing even Lily Evans to look up from her book. _

"_Peter stop it. You're causing a scene. Seriously Pete, you're only embarrassing yourself."_

_Lily frowned slightly and eventually knelt beside the weeping Peter. She put an arm around him and stared up at Lupin. "What have they done to him?"_

"_I'm sorry?"_

"_He was fine earlier." she protested. "I don't think I've ever seen someone so unhappy to turn fourteen. Forty; granted but four_teen_?"_

_Sirius and James chose this moment to climb through the portrait hole, laughing and brushing sodden hair from their faces. James wiped his glasses and appeared to only just realise that Evans sat before him with her arm draped around Peter Pettigrew who was crying into her shoulder._

"_Hey! I leave him alone for an hour and he becomes the biggest lady-killer in Hogwarts?"_

_Lily glared up at him, her jaw set and her eyes blazing. "You forgot didn't you?"_

"_Forgot what?" asked Sirius, expressing his contempt towards her with a withering glance._

_From his armchair Lupin made elaborate gestures signalling that the questioning should go on no further. Confused, James shrugged which prompted Lily to hiss that he was "a selfish, ignorant prat" before leading Peter out into the corridor._

"_Now would you mind telling me what in the name of Merlin's pyjamas is going on?"_

"_It's Peter's birthday." whispered Lupin, frightened that Peter would hear him. "And we forgot…_again._"_

_Sirius shrugged. "Oh well. What did he get me? Oh yeah, a pair of orange socks."_

"_They were great socks!" protested Lupin. "They had little beaters on them and they whizzed around your ankles waving their bats."_

"_If you like them that much Moony, you can _have_ them."_

"_It wouldn't make much sense, would it? _I'm _not a beater."_

_James sniggered. "Yeah, yours will have man-eating wolves."_

"_Shh." hissed Lupin. "Now, James get the cloak on and go down to the kitchens. Ask the house elves for a plate of small cakes and have a candle put in one of them. See if they have any Butterbeer left after Christmas too. Sirius, help me find him a present and we'll have a go at decorating the dormitory. Now go."_

"_Moony," began James, hesitantly. "It's not a military campaign."_

"_James, hurry up."_

_James rolled his eyes but within minutes was hurrying out of the portrait hole with the invisibility cloak in his arms. Lupin pulled a still soaking wet Sirius to his feet and dragged him into their dormitory._

"_Right. I wonder if I can turn that curtain on its side and then it would look like a banner." thought Lupin, aloud. _

_Sirius smiled to himself and watched his best friend carve "Happy Birthday Peter" into what had been the curtain round his bed, with his wand and wondered how he did it. That said, Lupin had always been too clever for his own good._

"_I notice you didn't go to this much trouble for _my_ birthday." laughed Sirius as James threw off the cloak, revealing a plate of sandwiches and cupcakes. "This is getting more and more like the teddy bear's picnic as the night goes on." he added, making himself comfortable on Peter's bed._

_James handed out three opened bottles of Butterbeer, placing the fourth on Peter's bedside table, and said, "It was the best I could get from them at such short notice bless them. They would have made an attempt at a five course meal if they had time."_

_Lupin began a frantic search for something to give to Peter and the three resigned themselves to giving Peter something they had bought recently for themselves that he wasn't aware of. _

"_Wait!" cried Sirius, watching Lupin flick his wand to wrap a bar of Honeydukes finest milk chocolate. "You're giving him your month's supply of chocolate?"_

_James stopped attempting to mimic Lupin's wrapping charm and stared at him, intensely. "Alright, who are you and what have you done with the _real_ Remus Lupin? I demand you return him at once."_

_Lupin laughed despite himself and began to mutter the spell to wrap the selection of Zonko's goodies from James and Sirius._

"_How do you do that stuff?" asked Sirius. "You're only thirteen!"_

"_Not for much longer, only two more months and I turn fourteen. And I practise and I do an awful lot of reading." explained Lupin, abashed. "It's the only way to keep up."_

"_Keep up? You're _years_ ahead of the rest of us." protested James._

"_Don't be ridiculous." said Lupin, looking incredibly pleased with himself._

_The door opened and Peter entered. His eyes widened at the sight of the dormitory and the tears began to pool in his eyes once more._

"_You remembered." he said, his voice cracking._

_Lupin pulled out his now rather battered camera and James reached for it, holding it above the four of them._

_CLICK!_

"_Next year I'll buy you a better spell-checker quill." Lupin promised._

_CLICK!_

"_I look awful in that one." protested James. "Peter, you can _keep _that picture and for the love of Merlin, don't ever show it anyone."_

1995

A silver finger traced the faces of the three young men surrounding the sobbing boy in their school dormitory.

Miles away from Lupin, Sirius and the box of embarrassment, in the village of Little Hangleton, Peter Pettigrew wondered how he had become so unrecognisable.


	7. In which James's head is deflated

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

Harry smiled back at a beaming, almost adult James Potter. The latter stood in a room that Harry did not recognise. It was painted red and on the wall beside the long, single bed was a collage of moving pictures. The other walls were covered with bookcases. Harry took this bedroom to be the domain of Remus Lupin.

The four marauders poured over a letter that Lupin was holding and reading avidly. James was gazing incredulously at the silver badge in his hands. Sirius looked sufficiently impressed and that had been enough for James. Peter was as excited as if it was _he_ who had been made head boy.

Pettigrew was obviously irritating Sirius who even almost twenty years later, looked on with a great deal of disdain for Peter's lack of spine.

_1977_

_The owl swooped through Lupin's open bedroom window and landed on the head of a sleeping James Potter who consequently screamed, waking even the heavy sleeping Sirius. Lupin, who had long dealt with the fact that he was paranoid, leapt to his feet, wand in hand. Peter shrieked and crouched in the corner of the room, his back to the wall._

"_False alarm. S'alright Moony, it's an owl. Put your wand away, you're making me nervous." said James, removing the letter from the owl's leg before it flew off into the sunrise._

"_Well?" asked Lupin, still not convinced this was not an elaborate ruse to distract them while the remaining wizarding community burned down his house._

"_I'm head boy." mumbled James, hardly daring to believe it. "I wasn't even a prefect and they made me head boy!"_

_Sirius groaned, half asleep. "Prongs, it's blatantly Moony's, hand it over to him."_

"_It's not." Lupin assured them. "I turned it down. Besides, it's addressed to James Potter, the floor, Sleepy Cottage."_

_James and Sirius, the latter now fully awake, huddled round their friend._

"_What do you mean you turned it down?" asked Sirius. "Why?"_

_Lupin smirked. "I have no spine. I let you pair get away with murder. I nearly killed Snape, remember?"_

"_No." replied Sirius. "_I _nearly killed Snape. You just happened to be around at the time. That's no reason not to take it."_

_Lupin shook his head, remembering the events of that night and wishing he could block them out. "Besides, what good will it do me? I thought it could advance someone else's career."_

"_It could advance yours." protested James, feeling guilty that he held the silver badge. It really should have been Remus's. "You really should take it, you know. I'll let them know I don't want it and you can write and say you've changed your mind."_

_Lupin raised his eyebrows. "Right. You think that will help me find a job then, do you? Oh yes, by the way I become a fully fledged monster once a month but I was head boy back in '77. Next thing you know I'll be Minister for Magic."_

_Sirius cocked his head on one side, as though sizing Lupin up. "What would you do anyway, if you could do anything?"_

"_It doesn't matter. I'll never find work."_

_Sirius made himself comfortable on Lupin's bed. "Because you have your furry little problem? Just don't tell them Remus."_

"_Well I think they might notice." said Lupin, re-reading James's letter and joining Sirius. He propped a pillow behind his back and leant against the stone wall. "I'm a bit peaky every few days before the full moon and I can only get away with it for so long. If I take the job and don't declare myself a werewolf, I can be arrested under the new laws."_

"_It all depends on what you want to go into." Peter finally piped up._

"_I'd like to teach." said Lupin in barely a whisper. _

"_Yeah I can see that actually." said Sirius, recalling their first Charms lesson where Lupin had patiently explained how to emphasise the incantation, at least three times every ten minutes. Come to think of it, Lupin had done more for Sirius's education than any of his teachers had done to date._

"_What would you teach?" asked Peter, oblivious to the glares of both James and Sirius who knew how Lupin must have been feeling._

"_Defence." said Lupin immediately. _

"_Not Charms?"_

"_Or Transfiguration?" asked James, remembering how easy Lupin had found it to turn his hairpin into a singing canary and had spent the remaining hour coaxing James's into a yellow ball of feathers that attempted to fly and merely fell off the desk. Looking back, maybe not transfiguration._

"_Nah," said Lupin, wistfully. "Think of the stuff you could teach and at least it's a useful subject. Think of the practical lessons and the exams you can set."_

"_You'll get it Moony."_

"_Yeah," laughed Sirius. "You'll work in the same school as Prongs who will obviously be teaching Divination."_

_Lupin grinned. "Don't arse around the whole year James. I know it's hard but _try_ and set an example."_

"_He's not going to live your life _for_ you Moony."_

"_I know. I'm just saying that James has had everything in life handed to him on a plate-"_

"_Silver platter more like." said Sirius, smirking; the only one who would dare speak such harsh words of truth._

"_Indeed." replied Lupin. "I think that you can be so much more than you are James and obviously Dumbledore's seen that too. I think it would be foolish to waste the opportunity."_

_James would never tell anyone how much that morning in Lupin's home had affected him but he thought that the most important thing was that Lupin knew, Lupin would _always _know._

_The silence that filled the room was companionable but the seriousness of their coming of age and what the future held for them, especially Lupin, hung in the air and made Peter emit an involuntary whimper._

"_So," began Sirius, lightening the mood. "On to more important matters."_

"_Like?" asked Lupin._

"_Who's your head girl?"_

_Lupin and Sirius leapt to their feet and stood in the middle of the room. Sirius smiled and wondered how soon he could try it on with her and eliminate the threat of detention throughout his final year. _

_Lupin poured over the letter, reading each line thoroughly. "Hey! You get your own set of rooms!"_

_James was too busy considering what being made head boy entailed emotionally, to hear him. He continued to play with the badge, tossing it between his palms. A slow smile spread across his face but quickly turned to a grimace._

_Obviously it would mean being mature and responsible and that meant an end to the harassment of Evans, or Lily as he supposed he should now call her. That would be painful. He would have to stop bulling Snivellus too. That cut deep. But he would do it for Lupin who would never be given the chance to really prove himself and who had selflessly turned down a position which they all knew meant a lot to him, to allow James to grow up._

_James smiled at his friend who was still avidly speed-reading his way through the document. _

_CLICK!_

"_Let's have a better one." said Lupin, taking the camera and ushering Peter into the picture._

"_I want you in it." James warned him. "You've been the photographer in way too many of our pictures."_

_Lupin sighed and reluctantly set the camera on a timer, standing beside James as both the latter and Sirius fisted their hands into the mane of hair he was trying to grow back after a two year absence and faked yanking it out for the camera. Lupin's look of horror would never fail to amuse James for years, especially when Sirius would burst into impromptu impressions, usually in the middle of a serious lecture._

_CLICK!_

1995

"I gave the other one to your father." said Lupin. "It used to sit on the mantlepiece in your living room."

A sudden surge of loss gathered in the pit of Harry's stomach. Lupin wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulders and Sirius delved further into the box.

"Looky, looky." he jeered, waving a picture that flustered Lupin. Harry leant over his godfather's shoulder and the sight that greeted him made him laugh almost as much as Sirius.

"Care to explain this one or shall I?" asked Sirius, jovially as he handed the picture over to an intrigued Harry.


	8. In which Lupin gets an ego boost

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**Thanks to everyone who's been so positive about this. This chapter is for everyone who wondered what goody-two-shoes Lupin had done…**

Harry recognised the room as the same deserted classroom on the same floor of the Gryffindor common room that he frequented on occasion. It looked a little less dusty but everything else, even the position of the stacks of chairs against the wall, was exactly same.

It was very dark and Harry assumed that James, Sirius and Peter had been eating an awful lot of carrots if they could make out Lupin in the black abyss. Even the camera flash hadn't restored the picture to the brilliance of the others.

Lupin had pinned a girl up against the wall and appeared to be making a damn good attempt to eat her alive. If Harry hadn't noticed her legs wrapped round his waist, he might have felt apprehensive about spending so much time with Lupin, who appeared to be a cannibal.

Most of the time, her eyes were closed but they flew open immediately after registering the flash. He saw her smile and her eyes had returned to their former state before Harry had looked hard enough to distinguish a particular colour. He could make out thick but well maintained dark eyebrows and chocolate brown curls. Typical Lupin, to look for chocolate in all things he considered to be attractive.

"I think _I'd _better explain this one." said Lupin, watching Sirius collapse into hysterics once more. "Harry, that's Anna."

"Fat Annie?"

"Don't you start too. Look at her, she's not fat at all. He only calls her that because she wouldn't go out with him when they were thirteen. I mean, she was quite plump but to hear him talk, she was clinically obese."

"No comment." muttered Sirius and Lupin smiled smugly.

"So what happened to you and her?" asked Harry, wondering how a woman who could prompt this kind of response from Lupin had not ended up married with a horde of children.

"She decided evil Mulciber was the right sort of guy to have sex with." said Sirius, bluntly. "I don't know what Remus saw in her to be honest although I suppose it might come in handy to have pictures of you mid-snog with a Death Eater's wife."

"It was just as well." said Lupin. "I'd have to have broken up with her in three days by the end of the relationship. We were leaving and there's no way I could have let her stay with me."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Here we go again. Change the record _Fruit-Loop_, the bit about "I am a werewolf and therefore do not deserve anything remotely resembling happiness" is getting really old now."

"So, to recap," began Lupin, thinking that the sooner they escaped the awkward subject, the better. "A few weeks ago she had sort of-"

"Thrown herself at you." said Sirius, busying himself by flicking through the box for more embarrassing pictures of his best friend.

"Well…yes and I did actually really like her. So she stormed out the common room mid 'We won the cup' party for reasons unknown and um…well, I followed her because it was late and I'd been drinking for three hours."

"And we encouraged him." Sirius admitted, smirking at his friend.

"Encouraged? You got me drunk and pushed me out of the door."

_1978_

_Lupin heard her sobbing the moment that the portrait hole swung closed beside him. Oh what he would give to be able to turn on his heels and return to the party, forgetting why he had come out here in the first place. No. He would find Anna and he would tell her she was a prat…no, that _he_ was a prat. The fact that he remembered so little of what Sirius had told him to say, worried him. Sirius was great with women, he understood how their minds worked…he, Remus Lupin, had let in a select few women and they hadn't reacted well to his nervousness._

_His feet seemed to move of their own accord as he now stood in a deserted classroom with no idea as to when and how he got there. He could vaguely make out the figure of Anna, her head in her arms and her shoulders shaking._

"_Annie?"_

_She leapt to her feet and whatever Lupin had been expecting, it was not a slap that left a burning sensation on his left cheek. His brow furrowed and he closed his eyes in pain and also to stop the room spinning. How much had he actually had to drink?_

"_I saw you." she hissed. "You told me you weren't ready and that you just didn't find _anyone_ particularly attractive."_

_Lupin smiled faintly. "Yeah I lied."_

"_And then I look at you and you were either staring at those dancing tarts or you were staring at Black and I don't know which is worse."_

_Lupin doubled up with laughter and finding the floor looming towards him, grabbed the corner of a desk and laughed harder. "You thought I was checking out Sirius?"_

_Anna didn't find this quite as amusing. "It's plausible. All the girls are saying they think you might bat for the other team."_

"_Well all the girls are wrong then." Lupin told her with such force that she backed against the wall. "Because I was looking at _you_."_

"_What?" she whispered, trying her hardest not to blush._

"_You. I was looking at you. When I said I didn't like you…I really meant that you shouldn't have to be with me. It's not me, it's you…"_

_She raised an eyebrow._

"_I mean…it's not you, it's me."_

_Anna rolled her eyes. "That is so cliché Remus."_

_Lupin wasn't sure what came after that in his speech and opted instead for what Sirius assured him was the next best thing. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He didn't particularly want to be slapped again. _

_As with every thing in life, Remus had become a quick learner and soon a perfectionist and so she discovered that his kiss didn't bruise her lips or make her honestly want to gag. _

"_Remus-"_

"_Wrap your legs round me." he told her, wondering where the courage to say these things was coming from. He felt absolutely fantastic and knew that it wouldn't last until the next morning._

_He kissed her with a feral passion that made her squeak and Sirius snort with laughter from the doorway. James elbowed him to be quiet and aimed the camera at Lupin._

_CLICK!_

_Lupin made a crude hand gesture but refused to remove his lips from Anna's causing Sirius to laugh until he complained of sore ribs and Peter to make noises that expressed immense jealousy._

"_Get in there Moony!" _

_Sirius and James wolf whistled and legged it back to the Gryffindor common room, waving the Polaroid. Peter waddled behind them, not having long enough legs to keep up. _

_Lupin finally pulled away and averted his eyes. "Sorry about that. I've never seen them before in my life."_


	9. In which Lupin works all night

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**I'd especially like to thank Broken Gold who has reviewed almost every chapter. Also thanks to EmmaLeighx for the three she took the time to leave last night. So thanks guys :D**

While Sirius was busy overcoming his subsequent hysterics, Harry pulled out the next photograph which Lupin smiled fondly in response to. Even Sirius stopped laughing when he saw it over his godson's shoulder.

It depicted a triumphant and absolutely shattered Lupin. They all read a piece of parchment over his shoulder by the light of James's wand.

James and Sirius smiled at one another, their arms still draped around Lupin's shoulders. This was the most ingenious thing they had ever thought of and without clever-clogs Lupin, it would never have come to fruition.

Peter stared up at Lupin as though looking at a God.

Lupin looked a great deal older than the others. His hair had changed from a very deep red colour at eleven to a pale brown at sixteen. The bags under his eyes merely enhanced the tragic look. His broad grin was the only indication that he was still in his teens.

_1976_

_Lupin sat on the floor of their dormitory and yawned. He pointed his wand at the parchment in front of him for the last time and muttered the final charm. Slowly, the little dots that symbolised Argus Filch and his obscene cat began to move around the third floor. Lupin beamed and punched the air._

_He shook Sirius and James awake to the consternation of both. Sirius grunted and tried to hide himself under his duvet but Lupin wasn't having any of it. It was five o'clock in the morning and he had worked for seven hours on this map and he was damned if Sirius was going to sleep through the grand unveiling._

"_Wormy! Wormy, wake up!"_

_Peter groaned and fell out of bed. Lupin shrugged; it was close enough. At least he was out of bed which was more than Sirius had yet achieved._

_Eventually they all sat around Lupin on the floor. James wiped his glasses and lit his wand and Lupin clicked his fingers, remembering one last thing he had forgotten as, following a display of magic that Lupin was particularly proud of which enabled jets of ink to shoot across the page into formations, appeared the words;_

'_Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs_

_Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief Makers_

_Are proud to present,_

_THE MARAUDERS MAP'_

"_Pete, get my camera out."_

_Peter rummaged through Lupin's belongings with a curiosity and lingering stare that the latter didn't much care for. _

"_Right, everyone squeeze in. Padfoot, you take it, you're the tallest."_

_CLICK!_

"_So what does that do?" asked Sirius as Lupin finally put away his wand._

"_Watch." said Lupin. "James, if you'd do the honours. Ask it to reveal itself."_

_James raised an eyebrow. This was too easy. It had to be a trick question._

"_Ask it as Snivellus." whispered Sirius, grinning._

"_I, Severus Snape, the biggest slime ball to grace the wizarding world, ask you to reveal your dark secrets."_

_The four boys laughed. Slowly, to the surprise of all but Lupin, words began to appear on the front of the map in a deep green ink. Peter strained and leaned forward to read._

'_Mister Moony would like to say that sarcasm is not becoming.'_

'_Mister Padfoot would like to add that Potter is surprisingly bad at impersonations.'_

_James laughed. "So this is what? Adding a bit of ourselves into this?"_

"_That's a great way to put it." said Lupin. "They react just like us. They _are_ us. Now, at the moment they will say what we think but I think if we all met up in ten years we'd realise how odd they all are because Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs will forever remain sixteen year old kids. Now, you open it like this." Lupin touched his wand to the parchment. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."_

_Little green dots, representing the inhabitants of Hogwarts Castle, appeared all over the map. James stared for a while at the dot marked Lily Evans. She slept in the bed nearest the door and now so would he._

"_Peter, we're swapping beds. Is this okay?" Not waiting for an answer James dragged his trunk over to the foot of what was formerly known as Peter's bed._

"_This is amazing." said Sirius, taking the map and watching Filch run down a corridor chased by Peeves. "I feel like a pervert, watching all these people sleep."_

"_Fair play Moony, that is the coolest thing in the history of ever." said James, unpacking the contents of his bedside table and transferring them into his updated version. "I can't believe you finally figured out how to do it."_

"_Was it terribly difficult Remus?" squeaked Peter, tempted to kiss the ground that Lupin walked on._

"_Put it this way," said James. "Moony, not me or Paddy or God forbid…you, but _Moony_ has been working on this for _years_. I highly doubt it was a walk in the park Wormy."_

"_Oh it wasn't too difficult." said Lupin, abashed. "I mean, I knew what I was doing. It's a simple charm really."_

"_Yeah but Charms are what you do Moony." said James. "If any of _us _had tried it, the map would be a pile of ashes by now."_

_Sirius gawked at the map, removing himself from the floor and lying, face down on his bed, the map positioned just in front of him so he could see the dots representing the students slowly wake up and move around. "Look, they're waking up." he said, sweetly._

"_Er…Pad, they're not babies." said James._

"_They are." protested Sirius. "They're _my_ babies. Look at them."_

_Lupin coughed, not impressed with having no sleep, double potions in four hours and his best friend taking credit for the magic he had been performing all night._

"_Mine and Moony's." said Sirius, wrapping an arm around Lupin and pulling him closer._

_Lupin raised his eyebrows and struggled free of Sirius's hold on him. "I'm sensing some biological impossibility here. Let me tell you, in this dormitory, we obey the laws of biological science."_

_Peter tittered. "So what are we going to do with it?"_

_James's eyes twinkled. "We're going to use it of course. Okay Loopy, when's the next full moon?"_

"_Um…some time late next week. I think either Friday or Saturday."_

"_Perfect." said James. "We'll go into Hogsmeade. We'll take the cloak and the map and be back well before anyone's up."_

_With the promise of an out of hours visit to Honeydukes's cellar and a wander round the village at night, Lupin found he didn't dread the upcoming weekend as much as he used to._


	10. In which James has a cunning plan

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and added this to their favourite stories list. I honestly wasn't expecting this many people to like it so thank you.**

The photograph that Harry now held confused him even more than Transfiguration classes. He raised his eyebrows at Lupin who gave him an apologetic half-smile. Sirius laughed softly to himself.

"Before you think there's anything sinister in it," began Sirius. "I should explain this was before your parents were together and it was all James's idea."

Harry's eyes returned to the picture which depicted an anxious Lupin arm in arm with his mother, with the love of his best friend's life. Fifteen year old Lily Evans repeatedly slumped and then composed herself, remembering where she was and who she was with. Her head was held high, her emerald eyes blazed until she looked over at Lupin and she visibly relaxed. Her eyes wandered, sneaking glances at the smug looking James Potter who was currently wrapped around a young girl with bright blonde hair. In the background, stood Peter Pettigrew with a girl at least a head taller than him. She was really quite pretty and Harry couldn't help but wonder what in the name of Merlin she was doing with Pettigrew. She looked vaguely familiar and her blue eyes twinkled as she gave a genuine smile.

"Who _is _that?" asked Harry eventually, not taking his eyes off her.

Sirius gave a weak smile. "Well, _you'd _know her as Alice Longbottom. She was the only girl in our year mad enough to accept Peter as her dance partner." Sirius gasped. "I shouldn't have said that."

"It's only Pettigrew, who cares?" snapped Harry.

Lupin licked his lips. "Alice was tortured to insanity Harry."

The silence that descended was awkward but reverent. Lupin eventually sighed and broke it saying, "But anyway, this was a long time before that would happen. There was a dance somewhere in Hogsmeade and we all wanted to go but we had to find someone to go _with_."

"It was Valentine's Day." Sirius explained. "And when Remus says we _all_ wanted to go, he means _James _wanted to go so he could have a reason to ask Lily again."

_1975_

"_No Potter."_

"_But-"_

"_I said _no, _Potter."_

"_Oh come on Evans, you know you want me really."_

_Lily Evans pursed her lips. She pushed her long red hair behind her ears and folded her arms, in fighting stance. Her eyes widened, "Were you dropped on your head Potter?"_

_Beside him, Sirius laughed and nodded. "Must have been." he assured her. "However, if you _are_ looking for someone to go with then I will be more than happy to-OW!"_

_Sirius clutched his side and James withdrew his elbow from his friend's ribs, rolling his eyes. "Don't be such a drama queen. It didn't hurt."_

_Lily made a noise of absolute disgust and turned on her heel, a triumphant Severus Snape in tow._

"_Oh well…you might as well not bother then." said Lupin, almost cheerful. "We can all just stay in and-"_

"_And you can mope." said Sirius, raising his eyebrows. "The full moon is the seventeenth Fruit-Loop and remember, we'll be with you this time. Stop worrying. You're not going to get some sort of whacked-out blood lust and end up on a killing spree. Just ask that girl who follows you round the library; I bet she wouldn't say no."_

"_I don't want to hurt her."_

"_I just told you." said Sirius, outraged. "You have no self-belief whatsoever. You're just a guy Moony. You're not a serial killer."_

"_I don't mean physically." muttered Lupin. "She'll be expecting me to want to take her out more often then, won't she? Yeah and she'll wonder why I always turn down her suggestions whenever it happens to be a…you know what. I'm not being funny but it only took Peter twelve months to figure it out and he's not exactly the sharpest is he? No offence Peter."_

"_Peter had to tell us." argued Sirius. "And you might be the cleverest Moony, but we're not stupid."_

"_And _why_ didn't you figure it out? You're too trusting. You're not a female."_

_James's whole face lit up. "So what you want is a girl who isn't going to expect a relationship with you. A girl who will see me and realise she's got it bad. A girl who will immediately break it off with you while remaining friends but who will know she is irrevocably in love with me."_

_Lupin frowned slightly. "No. You've got it all wrong. What I want is an absence of oestrogen in my life, full stop."_

_James didn't appear to hear him and continued to smile like an excited lunatic. Sirius appeared to catch on and began to beam too. Lupin vaguely understood where this was going and his jaw set. _

"_No way James."_

_James widened his eyes, the picture of innocence. "I haven't told you what the plan is yet."_

"_I don't need you to tell me." said Lupin._

_Only Peter was left bewildered and he stood between James and Lupin, watching the two young men stare each other out with a bemused expression._

"_Moony, you're the only one she'll even tolerate."_

"_Yes because I don't keep trying to get into her knickers."_

"_Yes but here's the plan. I'm going to ask the Verona girl out. You know, the one Lily thinks is something of a tart."_

_Sirius whistled in admiration and clapped his friend on the back. "Now _that_ is ingenious."_

_Lupin frown lines deepened. "I still fail to see what this has to do with me."_

"_Well Moony, you see…to be annoyed, Lily has to see me with her all the time and the only way in which she will do so is if she goes with one of us. Obviously, she can't go with me-"_

"_No Prongs, she _won't_ go with you." laughed Sirius._

_James chose to ignore this and continued his speech. "So she will have to go with one of you three. Now, she's already been utterly disgusted at the very thought of our dear friend Padfoot and she'll hardly agree to go with Peter when she could have anyone she wanted. No disrespect Peter, but you are more than a little bit weedy. That leaves you."_

_Lupin evidently still failed to see why he couldn't spend Valentine's night sharing some quality time with his slab of Honeydukes chocolate. "Well I'm not exactly a sex God either James."_

_Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Who are you trying to kid? All the girls want you."_

_Lupin laughed until his ribs hurt. "Sorry. I don't know who you think you're talking to but I feel as though I ought to remind you that this is Remus Lupin and you're probably looking for James. Try turning to your left."_

_James laughed but was inclined to agree with Sirius, even if only to encourage Lupin to ask Lily. "He's right. It's your mysteriousness. You never show any interest in girls in general and rather than think you bat for the other team, they hover round you, hoping to charm you. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if some of your Ravenclaw fan girls are brewing a love potion somewhere."_

"_We'll have to test his pumpkin juice every morning." said Sirius. "I for one would be more than happy to have a legitimate excuse for trying to get on every girl in sight."_

"_Yeah, or we could give it to Lily and see what she says after that." squeaked Peter._

"_You know Wormtail, that's the cleverest thing you've ever said." James told him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders._

_______________________________________________________________________

_And so, at the end of a long night, Lupin found himself arm in arm with the future Mrs. Potter, wishing the ground would swallow him up as she watched James and her arch rival indulge in a game of tonsil tennis._

_CLICK!_

"_Sirius please put my camera down. You're going to break it."_

"_I be' I won'." slurred Sirius, letting it fall through his hands and catching it by the strap. He cackled to himself as Lupin jumped._

"_Mate, was that _you_?" asked James, coming up for air. "You sounded like a hag."_


	11. In which James shapes the future

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**Thanks for all your amazing reviews. This is a long one, sorry.**

The next photograph made Harry feel physically sick. It had obviously been taken when the Marauders were still young children. Sirius still looked in his twenties, Lupin still looked about ten, James had grown to almost the same height as the other two but his hair was still unruly and his eyes still gleamed with laughter. Peter was trying his best not to cry again. He bit his lip and blinked away tears. Sirius looked absolutely disgusted and continually wrinkled his nose in distaste. James had an arm draped round him and Lupin stood beside them, hands in pockets.

"That was January of our first year." said Sirius. "Sometimes I wonder what might have happened if we'd stayed in the common room that evening."

_1972_

"_I'm bored." sighed Sirius, draping himself dramatically across the sofa in front of the fire._

_Lupin didn't even look up from his book. "Well then do something worthwhile. What happened to your Transfiguration homework?"_

_Sirius made a noise expressing deep disgust. "Homework? On a Saturday night? I want to go outside. We've got two hours 'til curfew. I'm going mad in this place."_

"_I'm sorry Sirius but I have to catch up by Monday." said Lupin, speed reading his way through a Charms textbook._

"_Where do you go anyway?" asked James, finally returning from Lily-land. She had noticed him staring and so he had been forced to stare into the fire._

_Lupin shifted in his seat, pushing the book up until it covered his face. "I told you, my mother is ill. I have to go and see to her."_

"_What's the matter with her?" asked Sirius, who wouldn't know tact if it tried to dance a naked tango with him._

_Lupin slammed the book shut a little too quickly. "Okay, let's go out."_

_______________________________________________________________________

_The only tree that bore leaves was the now infamous Whomping Willow. The wind howled in their ears and the Marauders were all glad of their scarlet and gold scarves._

"_Can we go back in yet?" asked Lupin, his teeth chattering as he sucked in a breath._

"_We only just came out here." protested Sirius._

"_Shh," hissed James. "You hear that?"_

"_Please don't tell me you're hearing voices." joked Sirius. "My uncle did once in nineteen-sixty-three and they still haven't let him out of St. Mungo's."_

_Lupin's eyes widened as he too registered the cruel laughter of two figures standing a little way ahead of them, beside the border of the forest. They appeared to be standing over a dead body. Maybe they'd found something in the forest._

"_Who is it?" asked James, squinting._

"_Avery and Mulciber." answered Lupin, coldly. "Let's go back inside. They've got some animal corpse. I don't fancy being made into one tonight."_

_The 'animal corpse' emitted a bloodcurdling scream and Lupin turned on the spot. He and James shared a worried glance. Sirius looked severely uncomfortable._

"_Actually," muttered Sirius. "That Transfiguration essay _is_ pretty important."_

"_You're not scared, are you?" asked James, trying to joke._

"I_ am." admitted Lupin. "I mean come on, they're twelve and they already mess with the Dark Arts. Merlin only knows what they're doing up there."_

"_Yeah." agreed James, eventually. "You're right. We'd better report it anyway."_

_They turned and began to trudge back to the castle hoping that the screams would stop soon so they could feel less guilty. _

"_Please!"_

_It seemed to strike a chord with Lupin who had been bullied for years. He shuddered and bit his bottom lip. Remembering how it felt to want to scream for help and knowing no-one would bother to listen, he turned back and strolled casually toward the border of the forest._

"_What are you doing?" James shouted after him._

"_I'm not just leaving him there." said Lupin, a new resolve in his step._

"_Loopy, Mulciber is six feet tall!" Sirius half-shrieked. When Lupin didn't even register his protest, he turned to James. "Looks like Loopy's finally cracked."_

"_He should count himself lucky that you're not talking about his skull." replied James, sighing and following his friend. _

_Sirius raised his eyebrows and reluctantly traipsed after the others. He knew who it would be. It would be the weedy kid who followed them around all the time; the boy with the pale blonde hair and deep blue eyes, so sunken-in that he looked gaunt. Peter, he thought his name was. It was dreadfully common whatever it was. Sirius realised he sounded terrifyingly like his mother and was dragged out of his reverie by the sounds of a laughing Mulciber._

"_Good God Remus, shut up!" he heard James shout._

_Lupin evidently either didn't hear him or was too stupid to take his advice. He continued to glare up at Mulciber. "I said let him up."_

_Mulciber sneered at him, turning to Avery. The small lump of a boy they had pinned to the floor scrabbled to his feet and began to back away slowly and quietly._

"_Why don't you listen to your little friend?" asked Avery, his whole face twisted with malice. "Or I'll put the Cruciatus Curse on you."_

_Lupin scoffed. "You don't know how." he said simply._

_James and Sirius turned to face one another. Where had this surge of courage and stupidity come from? This certainly wasn't anything like the Lupin they knew._

"_Don't I?" said Mulciber, pointing his wand directly at Lupin's face. For a moment Lupin almost looked as though he believed it._

"_I should warn you," said Lupin, coolly. "That sometimes even the people you least suspect can become very dangerous. They have adrenaline rushes when you put them in difficult situations."_

_Mulciber laughed mirthlessly. James contemplated running or screaming or trying to perform a curse that would incapacitate the six foot Slytherin who loomed over his best friend. He found that he couldn't move, he couldn't speak and his lungs seemed to refuse to work._

_Lupin's breathing became shallow and quick. As Mulciber began muttering what was no doubt a practise attempt at a dark curse the others hadn't even heard of, Lupin picked up a thick and heavy branch and swung it at his assailant's head._

"_You see? Adrenaline rush. Just like that." Lupin said to the concussed body lying at his feet._

_Sirius snorted earning himself a withering glance from Avery which soon silenced him. He contented himself with taking Lupin by the shoulders, dragging him away and then shaking him vigorously, resisting the urge to slap him and only because it would make him look decidedly homosexual._

_For reasons none of them could fathom, Peter had tagged along too and now stood beside James, watching the exchange with bewildered amusement._

"_Are they always like this?" he asked._

_James shrugged. "Yeah…_most_ of the time. It's because there's a massive personality clash. Sirius likes to take everything as it comes and gob off to pretty much anyone and Remus would rather take the back seat and wait for arguments to resolve themselves. He's a really careful planner and I think Sirius is just trying to deal with Remus acting like him. In response, he's taken to acting as sensibly as Remus."_

"_Yes." agreed Pettigrew. "I thought it was very unlike Remus. I never knew he had such a temper."_

_James wondered how it was possible that a total stranger could know how Lupin typically behaved but thought little of it. It was probably best not to ask._

_Thankfully, Lupin and Sirius joined them and Peter immediately started to shift his feet slightly. "Thank you." he mumbled and Lupin coughed awkwardly._

"_It's fine Peter, seriously. I used to be bullied. It's not pleasant."_

"_I'm not being funny," said Sirius, preparing everyone for the fact that whatever he was about to say would be offensive. "But where are your friends when this stuff goes on?"_

_Lupin bit his lip, embarrassed for Peter. He knew that when you were bullied at that level, no-one in their right mind wanted to be associated with you._

"_I um…"_

_James sensed a pattern and cut him off, sensing no need to embarrass the boy further. "Well you can hang round with us and be a Marauder. It's terribly exciting."_

_Sirius threw him a look that could have scared away a starving tiger. _

"_Excellent." said Lupin, feeling better knowing that Peter now had friends. He began handing things from the bottom of his bag to both Sirius and James until he finally pulled out a large camera that he had to have charmed to fit pretty much _anywhere_. _

_James took the camera. "Okay everyone, group photo."_

_CLICK!_

1995

"If I'd just done my Transfiguration homework then Peter would never have played a part in any of our lives. If I had done my Transfiguration homework Harry, you would have parents."

Lupin threw the lid of the box at Sirius's head. "Don't be ridiculous. Besides, if I hadn't beaten the crap out of Mulciber with a big stick then he wouldn't have stuck around."

Harry contemplated this and eventually said, "My dad invited him to hang around with you. So maybe it's my dad's fault. Besides, he shared a dormitory with you for seven years, he'd have found a way to worm his way in. That's what he was good at, you both know that."

Lupin gave him a half smile. "Harry, you can't possibly understand how it feels to know that you have been betrayed by the man you called your friend and I hope you never have to. That's one horror I hope you will be spared. I took Peter as a friend and accepted him, trusted him even, straight away because I knew how that felt, because your father and Sirius had done it for me."

Harry felt decidedly awkward and shifted in his seat. He didn't want to talk about this; about the man who had later sold both him and his parents to Voldemort. He didn't want to feel any compassion. He wanted to rip him apart.

"It took me about a year." said Sirius, quietly. "And then I trusted him. I trusted him when I realised that my other friends trusted him completely. I was an idiot and I paid the price. If this teaches you nothing Harry-"

Lupin sensed the beginnings of despair in Harry before Harry even registered it himself and said, "Then it teaches you _constant vigilance_. Next photo Padfoot, double quick."

Harry couldn't quite see it but whatever the photograph showed, it enabled Sirius to laugh again and for that he was grateful.


	12. In which Lupin loses his dignity

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

Harry now held a photograph that depicted his mother and Lupin leaping, embracing one another (often mid-leap) and screaming. They waved scarlet and gold flags and both had painted gold lions on the cheeks of their bright red faces.

"Quidditch match." mumbled Lupin, trying his best not to look.

"Yeah I guessed." said Harry, raising his eyebrows and stealing a glance at a thoroughly embarrassed Lupin.

"What _do_ you look like?" asked Sirius, staring down at the picture and wondering what the usually composed Lupin could have been thinking when he did that to himself. "_Both_ of you!" he added, noting how terribly her scarlet face clashed with Lily's slightly orange hair.

"Well," began Lupin, as if this was a story that would take quite some telling. "We were trying to show a little school spirit. I think we look…interesting."

"No Remus," Sirius told him. "You look like a _prat_."

Harry laughed, inclined to agree with his godfather who was smiling at Lupin, waiting for a retort. Lupin however, looked anywhere but at the two people sitting to his right.

"Alright," he finally said, still glaring at the curtains as if they had just insulted his mother. "Well you've seen it, now put it back in the box."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "It was the first match of the season-"

"And you'd already brutally attacked your own brother with the excuse of… '_it's a violent sport Remus, if he wasn't prepared for it, he shouldn't have signed up'_."

"And it's still true." protested Sirius. "My brother was an arse." he added, not entirely for Harry's benefit. He laughed as the portrait of Mrs. Black began to shriek insults at him.

_1976_

_"Come on Evans. Give me a good luck kiss."_

_Lily Evans wrinkled her nose and widened her eyes. "Potter, this is bordering on sexual harassment."_

_"What if I fell off and died?"_

_Lily's expression told him very clearly that she failed to see how this would be such a loss. She turned on her heel and headed back towards the stands. "Are you coming, Remus?"_

_"Yeah, in a minute." Lupin called. Turning to James, he had the decency to smile apologetically. "I didn't mean to bring her here. She's just had a rough time since last summer, you know…with Snape… and she had no-one else to be with today so Peter said she could come and watch the match with us."_

_It was Peter's turn to look embarrassed. He blushed and muttered something about how charming she was, to the consternation of all._

_"Ooh, Prongs has a love rival." jeered Sirius, swinging his bat. _

_"Shut up!"_

_"Anyway," coughed Lupin, ever the peace-maker. "We'd better be going Peter. Good luck guys."_

_They were lucky to have left when they did as within five minutes, the match had began and already Sirius (who was fast becoming Gryffindor's best beater) was getting overly enthusiastic with his bat, aiming whenever possible at his younger brother who darted past him on the rare occasions that he was required to, in search of the snitch. _

_In the stands, Peter was practically bouncing with excitement. "How does he stay on his broom that's what I want to know." he repeatedly demanded, pointing at Sirius as he put all his weight behind hitting a Bludger toward his brother's head._

_Lupin eventually handed over his camera; the thing he loved more than he thought he could ever love a human baby, to Peter and allowed him to take animated pictures of a manic Sirius and a petrified Regulus that he thought Sirius would appreciate framed as a Christmas present. _

_"What's the score anyway?" Lily shouted over the screams of the Slytherins as their Chaser scored._

_Lupin shrugged. The commentator appeared to be more interested in advertising the Slytherin seeker's broom sent to him by his mother when she found out he had made the team, than the score. This only made Sirius more intent on destroying not only the new Nimbus but also its rider._

_"Ten more points and Slytherin have won anyway." screamed Peter. "They're already one hundred and fifty points above us so even if we catch the snitch, it won't matter."_

_"What happened to the keeper?" asked Lily, noticing Gryffindor's empty goalposts._

_"I think Sirius got him." said Lupin, smiling grimly._

_"So we're going to lose then?"_

_James pelted the Quaffle into the Slytherin goal posts and Lupin grinned. "Not necessarily."_

_Lily hated to admit it but it had to be said, Potter had some serious flying skills. He was already aiming the Quaffle again. It sailed through the hoop and before she could stop herself, she was cheering and even whistling with Lupin. They were in with a chance now._

_"Well we can win!" screamed Peter over the deafening roars of triumph around him._

_No sooner had he uttered the words, Regulus Black stiffened, his eyes hovered just past where his brother sat astride his broomstick, bat at the ready. He darted towards the tiny, gold ball, alerting the Gryffindor seeker who followed him at a tremendous speed._

_The sounds of the score rising echoed round the stands. James had scored once more to no applause nor even catcalls from the Slytherins. They all waited now with baited breath._

_The bludger whistled as it sped through the air, hitting the other Black brother in the left arm and sending him hurtling several feet before he gained control of his broom. Sirius smirked as the Gryffindor seeker now held the Snitch in his clasped hand._

_It took a few seconds of agonising silence for the Gryffindors to register that they had won the match. They had clawed their way up from almost nothing. Remus screamed at the top of his lungs and Lily was absolutely mortified to find that her arms were wrapped around Lupin's waist and they were now literally jumping for joy. _

_CLICK!_

_"Peter, give me my camera!"_

_Great and now the marauders had pictures of her in this state. She pursed her lips. No doubt that photograph would be round the school by Monday morning._

_"Yay." she muttered sarcastically._

_"Don't worry." Lupin assured her, shouting in her ear to be heard over the tumultuous applause. "I'll hide it from them."_

_"Somehow I don't think that'll work." Lily shrieked back._

_"Trust me! They're a bunch of idiots. I'll put it under my mattress. They'll never think of looking there!"_

_"No. Under your mattress is a whole new idea; not in the least cliché." she said, raising her eyebrows and smiling._

_"Nah," he replied, grinning back. "You see, they think I'll put all the embarrassing pictures somewhere ingenious. They've been under my mattress for the last six years."_

_Lily looked suitably impressed until Peter, smiling smugly, said, "Well now we know where to look."_

_Lupin's face fell. The colour drained from his cheeks. His eyes widened in fear. They were going to find the pictures from their first year; pictures of him looking small and fat and decidedly more ginger. Oh God!_

_CLICK!_

_"Peter! Give me that camera!_ Now_!"_

_CLICK!_

1995

Sirius laughed. "Come to think of it Remus, where _did_ those pictures go?"

Lupin mumbled something about throwing them out a long time ago.

Sirius nodded. "Note to self. Check under Remus's mattress."

Lupin's arm shot out, narrowly missing Harry's face, and he pointed an accusing finger at Sirius. "I mean it Black, you go anywhere near my mattress and I swear I'll, I'll-"

"You'll what?" asked Sirius, grinning broadly.

"I'll stop buying Every Flavour Beans and I _mean_ it this time!"

Sirius was speechless. He eventually handed the box over to Lupin. "Tell you what, I'll let you pick the next photograph. How about it?"

Lupin smirked. "Deal."

He rooted through the box and eventually found the picture he had been looking for. He handed it to an amused Harry and watched Sirius's face depict true horror.

"Anything but _that_ one!"


	13. In which Sirius is embarrassed

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

Lupin was still smug and Sirius was tempted to hide his face in his hands and hibernate. For the briefest moment he considered going into hiding with Kreacher and then realised that nothing was that bad.

His godson meanwhile was almost wishing Lupin had kept his photographs to himself. His latest find had revealed a blatantly intoxicated Sirius, dancing on a table in the Gryffindor Common Room, with several girls who had only their skirt length (or lack of) in common.

"We'd won the Quidditch Cup." said Sirius, as means of explanation.

It failed to reassure Harry that the man his parents had entrusted with his moral upbringing wasn't in fact a serial pervert.

_1978_

_It was common knowledge by June that James Potter was in love. For once, not the love that comes with stalking a girl round the grounds for six years and then complaining when she slaps you, but the love that comes with stalking a girl round the grounds for six years, complaining when she slaps you and making use of your imagination to turn Head Duties into dates._

_Said common knowledge, coupled with the fact that Lily Evans's temper was renowned, was the reason that since he had been dating Lily, James Potter had no other female contact. Girls would mumble a 'hello' before blushing and running down corridors._

_Hence the reason why Sirius Black had become hot stuff. Thinking about it, the months that James had been in a steady relationship had been the best of Sirius's life._

_So when the Gryffindor Quidditch Team burst through the portrait hole, their Captain and his best friend bearing armfuls of Honeydukes sweets (that appeared to have come from nowhere) and bottles of Butterbeer (of similarly dubious origins), James was practically ignored and Sirius had been leapt upon by a horde of fan girls. _

_From their positions by the fire, Lily and Lupin leapt to the feet and ran to him. Lupin was just about allowed to embrace his best friend to congratulate him before Lily kissed his cheek and lead James back towards where they had been sitting._

"_We've sort of been having our own party." she laughed._

_James took in the sight by the fireplace and all hopes were shattered. "Ah yes," he said, sinking into an armchair. "A party involving you, Remus and ninety-nine per cent of the Restricted Section. I should have known."_

_Lupin picked up a book and revealed a slightly crushed bar of white chocolate. James smiled. "You know I love that stuff."_

_Lupin threw him a row of four chocolate squares. "And you don't deserve it."_

_James ate two squares at a time to Lily's disgust. She chose to look away and return to reading the back of her Chocolate Frog card. _

"_D'ya know Remus," said James between bites of chocolate. "I've just been pictured with a large silver trophy. I have been made Head Boy. I have received an Outstanding in Transfiguration. I have been made Quidditch Captain. I have helped create the best map in existence. I became an Animagus at fifteen years of age. But I don't think I have ever felt as proud as I always do when you give me a share of your chocolate."_

_Lupin gave him the finger and continued to read. James laughed and leant down, stealing his girlfriend's Chocolate Frog._

_The sounds of new wave punk music blared. To the surprise of both James and Lily, Lupin not only knew it but had began to sing along half way through. He appeared not to realise they were staring at him as he was watching a scene towards the back of the room, still singing about love and hags. James followed Lupin's gaze and gasped._

_Either Lupin was staring at a short, plump brunette who stood at the back of the room, alone and slightly tipsy or (more likely) he was staring at seven girls who had climbed onto the long table in the middle of the room and danced in what could be described as an extremely explicit manner._

_Worse, they had been joined by a certain dark haired, grey eyed apparent sex God. Lupin leapt to his feet and ran up the stairs into the dormitories._

"_So what's the matter with Remus?" Lily asked him._

"_I was just about to ask you the same question." James admitted, watching his best friend jump down the steps, two at a time, with his camera._

_CLICK!_

"_Right. I'll think of something to do with that by Monday morning." James assured Lupin and Peter, who shared in his embarrassment._

_Sirius made a crude gesture, similar to Lupin's but continued to gyrate his hips against those of the girl he was dancing with. James cringed. This was something he really didn't want to see._

"_Some guys get all the luck." moaned Peter, downcast._

"_Couldn't agree more Wormy." said Lupin, watching the brunette girl he had had his eyes on all night, storm out._

"_You know Moony," said James. "This is all self inflicted."_

_Peter nodded vigorously. "Lots of girls like you Remus. I think you're wasting all the attention."_

"_Really?" asked Lupin, wondering whether to follow Anna Lovett or wallow in his misery. There really was no contest. He would wallow._

"_Moony, if you don't get laid by the end of this year I'm going to tell those fourth year Ravenclaws where you live." James warned. _

_Lupin grabbed James's bottle, downed the remainder and muttered something about 'Dutch Courage' before sprinting out of the portrait hole._

_CLICK!_

"_One more for luck." James explained to Lily, who looked entirely disapproving of not only his photography but also his best friend's disgusting dancing. "Just in case we cut the head out of the first one."_

_She rolled her eyes but kissed his cheek once more before heading back to her book collection and Lupin's chocolate._

_The song ended and Sirius leapt off the table, landing in a cat-like pose._

"_Hurry up!" hissed James, still cradling Lupin's camera. "We've got to find Moony."_

_Sirius frowned slightly. "Why?"_

"_Because I get the sneaking suspicion that he's finally giving in to temptation and I want photographical evidence."_

_Sirius recoiled, horrified. "Potter you pervert!"_

"_They're not going to be having sex!" shouted James, a little too loudly. "I wouldn't want pictures of _that_. Who do you take me for, _you_?"_

_______________________________________________________________________

_Lupin still wasn't sure whether to forgive the others for not only calling his first serious girl-friend 'Fat Annie' but also taking photographs of their first kiss. It would all depend on whether his work was still in tact and spellotaped to the wall around the next corner._

_Sirius froze as they turned into the corridor leading to the Great Hall. On the wall was an enlarged photograph of him on Saturday night, on a table, dancing with girls of a questionable reputation. Beneath it were the words;_

_Dance Classes : Gryffindor Common Room. See S. Black for details._

"_Lupin, I swear to God, I'm going to feed that bloody camera to the Giant Squid!"_


	14. In which Lupin discovers Viagra

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A/N: Sadly based on a true conversation and picture, shortly after I too was made prefect.**

Harry pulled out a photograph that showed Lupin, who still had his mane of reddish-brown hair, holding a shining silver badge. The four Marauders stood in a large garden with a sea view, laughing and looking distinctly impressed.

"The badge?" asked Harry, thinking this may have been Lupin turning down head-boy.

"Prefect." replied Lupin, smiling wistfully.

_1975_

_Summer at Lupin's had become an annual event taking place in August shortly after the full moon and lasting a week. Sleepy Cottage, which housed four young wizards, Lupin's father who worked ridiculously long hours at the Ministry, and his muggle mother, was teaming with life during this week and Lupin was constantly surprised that his mother continued to allow said visits._

_It was the week that they all looked forward to. Lupin counted down the days until he could see his friends, not even caring that he would have to endure a transformation before they arrived. Sirius would stop at nothing to escape his family for a week and Lupin's home was so very different from his own, with loving parents and dinners the whole family could sit down to without threatening to kill one another before dessert. James treated it as a holiday that showed him how the other-half lived. It was lovely to wake up of a morning and listen to a cock crow, signalling it was time to feed the chickens. It was lovely to hear the waves crashing against the cliffs on which Lupin lived. It was lovely not to hear traffic or the sounds of busy London. On the other hand, it was lovely to know that he didn't have to live like Lupin. He could go home to a house-elf and a large, soft bed. And Peter was just glad to have been invited._

_It had become a ritual. The first morning was always spent unpacking. The other three boys would all travel down on the earliest train on the Monday morning and Lupin would meet them at the station at half past eleven. _

_Upon walking through the door, Mrs. Lupin would fuss over them as if they were _all_ her sons and immediately set to making sugary tea with scones, Peter's favourite part of the holiday._

_The afternoon was spent walking round the cliffs, looking down onto the beach, full of holiday-makers and thinking of ingenious pranks to pull over the next six days._

_At six o'clock exactly, Mr. Lupin would apparate into the garden and dinner would be served by which time the boys would have to be back and already sitting at the table. None of them especially minded Mrs. Lupin's little quirks. Sirius took it to be a sort of twisted muggle ritual. A whole family eating together, even spending time together in the same room for an indefinite period of time was something truly alien._

_This particular Thursday afternoon, the Marauders were to be found in a nearby field playing Quidditch with various sized fruit. It had to be said that watching Sirius pelt a watermelon in your general direction was one of the scariest things ever witnessed._

"_Remus! REMUS!"_

_Lupin sighed and swerved to avoid the watermelon and landed with ease in his back garden. No sooner had he done so that his mother wrapped her arms around him and kissed his forehead. He had tried to bat her off before his friends followed him but had failed miserably._

"_Remus, you're a prefect." his mother told him, waving his letter._

"_You opened my mail?"_

_His mother appeared not to hear. "They said they were sorry that it hadn't arrived with your O.W.L. results and here's your badge."_

"_You're a prefect?" laughed Sirius. "Who the hell made _you_ prefect?"_

_Mrs. Lupin was not at all impressed. Her lips pursed and her nostrils flared. "Remus is a good boy, aren't you Remus?"_

_Lupin cringed. "Mmmhmm."_

"_I think maybe it was to calm us lot down." said James. "But it's not going to work right Moony? You're not going to shop us, are you?"_

"_Nah," agreed Sirius. "We'd be in detention with him all the bloody time if he did and then he'd never escape us."_

"_We're on easy street!" James didn't so much high-five Sirius as slam his hand into his best friend's._

_Lupin stared incredulously at the badge in the palm of his hand…_

_CLICK!_

…_And was soon brought out of his reverie. _

"_Mum! I keep telling you not to mess with my camera." His beam soon returned. "Prefect. I still can't believe they made me prefect."_

"_I don't think any of us said congrats so we're all saying it now." said James, laughing as the smile on Lupin's face grew even wider. _

_Peter gave him a half-smile and nodded once. "Yeah, well done Moony."_

_Sensing the tension, Sirius almost screamed in mock horror, "Quick Moony, it's rusty."_

_It was worth it for Lupin's gasp and subsequent facial expression as he glanced down at his badge and began to polish it with the hem of his woollen jumper._

_With the exception of a frustrated Lupin, they all burst into hysterical laughter. Even Peter had forgotten his grievances._

"_I bet it won't even stay up on my tie." said Lupin. "Remember Narcissa's badge would always sort of…I don't know…flop down. Every time you saw her you'd make a big deal of it Padfoot."_

_Sirius smiled wistfully. "Ah yes…back in the day." Remembering suddenly, his eyes widened. "That's because she didn't use Viagra."_

_Lupin raised his eyebrows and coughed. "Um…"_

"_Pin the badge to the back of your tie as well and then it'll stay up. It's Viagra for your prefect badge." Not noticing Lupin's look of confusion, amusement and concern, Sirius continued, "On the down side, it means that you can't polish it until it gleams and shine it in the faces of all the first years you want to give detention to."_

_Lupin smirked. "I'll take the risk."_

1995

Lupin clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. "Viagra for your prefect badge. Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous?"

Sirius smiled smugly and shrugged. "It worked didn't it?"

"I'm not denying that."

Harry looked faintly disturbed. "Are we ever going to find a clean photograph?"

Lupin thoroughly agreed. "I don't know. You'd probably have to go back to one from our first year and even then it's a push with Sirius around."

Lupin's well developed reflex caught the box lid before it hit him square in the face.

"Must have been Kreacher." lied Sirius. "We really must have words."


	15. In which Peter figures it out

_**Disclaimer: See Prologue**_

_**A/N: Personally, I really didn't like the last one so hopefully this one will be better. And yes, the DADA teacher is named after my wine-gums.**_

"_Aha!" cried Sirius, handing his godson a photograph that had been taken under a birch tree in the grounds. "That's clean."_

"_Of course it's clean." agreed Lupin. "Peter is the focal point and nothing about Peter could ever be considered filthy."_

"_Except Peter himself." argued Sirius, a look of disgust spreading across his now slightly diminished handsome features. "I mean, no-one in their right mind ever went near Pettigrew if they could help it...until we came along."_

_Harry took a second look at the image he held in his hands. It was dusk and the castle was bathed in the orange glow that came with sunset. A large birch tree had began to lose its golden leaves and under it sat two boys; one, pale and round, the other scrawny with a mop of untameable, jet black hair._

_1972_

_James Potter almost threw himself onto the grass beside Peter who barely registered his friend's arrival. He was absorbed in thought. His watery, blue eyes stared into the horizon as though willing it to show him something else._

"_Peter?" said James, softly. "Peter, what's the matter?"_

_Peter didn't reply and continued to take deep breaths and stare straight ahead as though he was alone._

"_Peter, I know you can hear me. Don't ignore me. It's not considered terribly polite." joked James, trying to provoke some sort of response. Anything would be better than the almost soulless figure of his friend, slumped forward with glazed eyes._

"_I just finished my Defence Against the Dark Arts essay." whispered Peter. _

_James failed to see why this was a cause for concern. "What essay?" he asked, not remembering being set one._

"_The one the supply set us."_

_James vaguely recalled a plump, elderly woman who had taken a particular dislike to Remus very early on, teaching in the stead of their usual, ill-fated professor. Of course, she hated all children, boys in particular but of all the children she didn't like, she especially favoured Remus. She had made him sit apart. She had mercilessly picked on him the whole lesson, asking him every question before setting it to the class, choosing to ignore him when he answered every last one correctly._

"_I haven't done it yet. Was it hard?"_

"_Not particularly." murmured Peter, still not looking at James. "It was…interesting. I learned a lot…about werewolves." he added, hesitatingly._

_James nodded but raised an eyebrow in confusion, knowing that Peter wouldn't see it and even if he did, it would hardly register. "Listen Pete," he said eventually. "I don't know why it's bothering you so much. They can't hurt you. It's not like one of them is sharing a dormitory with you…"_

_Peter gave a short, quiet and bitter laugh._

"_You think one of us is a werewolf Peter, do you?" asked James, laughing to himself. "Well I assume we can rule you out, I know _I'm_ not and Sirius would tell us first chance he got because he'd think it was the epitome of cool and let's face it, it's not going to be Lupin, is it? Remus would be beside himself if he hurt so much as a stick-insect so he's hardly going to run round on a murderous spree once a month is he?"_

_Peter emitted the same disturbing laugh._

"_Is it the essay?" James asked after a pregnant pause. "You don't have to hand it in Peter. Professor Maynard said we didn't have to do it, remember?"_

_Peter bit his nails and sucked in a breath. "Maybe I'm being stupid."_

"_Well that's understandable Peter, you're _always_ being stupid." laughed James, winking at him and hoping for the smallest hint of a smile._

"_Maybe it's paranoia." muttered Peter, more to himself than his companion. "Or an over-active imagination. You're right James."_

_CLICK_

_In the distance stood Lupin with his camera which James was sure was actually bigger than Lupin's head. He was soon sitting beside them._

"_Hi."_

"_Hello." whimpered Peter, moving slightly closer to James._

"_What are you looking at Pete?" asked Lupin, noticing Peter's tendency to stare outwards as though planning an escape._

"_Nothing. Not _you_!" stammered Peter._

_James and Lupin shared a glance indicating their confusion. Both shrugged and continued their conversation._

"_He's probably trying not to look at the camera Loopy." laughed James. "I really wish you'd stop taking random photographs. It's a bit…perverted."_

"_Excuse me?" asked Lupin, grinning. "Pot calling the kettle black. This from the boy who follows Lily Evans around the school asking if she needs her books carried. Besides, it was a really nice picture."_

_Peter mumbled something about bed and hurriedly left. Lupin sighed, trying not to alert James to his discomfort although he was sure all his friends would know within a matter of weeks. _

_He could only hope Peter would not betray him…_


	16. In which James finally succeeds

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A/N: My second posting today. I'm worried I'm addicted to fanfic. I've noticed that I am fast running out of ideas for the earlier years. If anyone has anything they would like to see (no matter the year) then let me know :D**

Harry held the picture in his trembling hand as one might hold a lump of smouldering coal, as though anything resembling a grasp would result in third degree burns. He did not dare to touch it for fear of tarnishing it with his fingerprints. His breath caught in his throat.

Sirius moved closer to his godson and wrapped a comforting arm around his shaking shoulders.

"When was it taken?" asked Harry, his voice cracking.

"Our last year." answered Lupin. "Sirius and I had been watching this unfold from the top of the staircase and because we'd been waiting for this for years, I went for the camera."

"Tell me." Harry croaked.

_1978_

"_Lily?"_

_Lily Evans should not have been shocked to hear her name, her real name, her first name, from the lips of James Potter. She should not have felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach. Above all, she should not have smiled so radiantly as she turned to face her dark haired, hazel eyed, bespectacled fellow head._

_He had been draped across the sofa in front of the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room but now sat up straight, legs apart, elbows resting on his knees and his eyes staring at the floor, tracing a pattern in the carpet._

"_I'm sorry."_

_Lily raised an eyebrow. "Sorry for what?"_

"_The last six years." he explained, a short laugh escaping and a half smile gracing his flawless face. "Lily I really can't attempt to justify my actions and I swear I'll stop harassing you into dating me."_

_Lily frowned slightly. This was a touching speech of apology. It had to have been crafted by Remus Lupin. "James, how many times have you said this? How many times have I told you it was okay? You started on the first of September and you haven't stopped since. It's January James and I'm getting worried."_

_James Potter's smile could have lit the whole castle. "Lil, can I call you that?" Not waiting for answer, he continued. "Can we be friends?"_

"_You've asked me that too." she reminded him, gesturing to her very presence beside him in the now empty Common Room. "If I had answered no, would I allow you to drag me in here when we should be reorganising prefect duty timetables, to spend time with your…charming…friends?"_

_James laughed. "Charming eh? Sirius will be ecstatic. He likes to think of himself as suave and something of a what's he called? James Blonde figure."_

"_Bond." she corrected, laughing. "And I was being sarcastic. Although I've always liked Remus, he's sensible. He's normal."_

"_And _I'm_ not?" asked James, pretending to be offended._

"_And Peter is sweet in his own way."_

_James beamed. "I notice you're avoiding the subject of Sirius."_

_Lily smirked. "Of course I like Sirius. Who couldn't?"_

"_Er…_you_." James reminded her. "Last year you were telling us we were arrogant, childish prats."_

_Lily laughed. "And it's still true…although in fairness Sirius has grown up a bit."_

_James threw the cushion he had been leaning on and with his Chaser's aim, how could it have failed to hit Lily on the side of the head, causing her red hair to bounce and her almond shaped, emerald eyes to widen in shock._

"_You're in for it now Potter."_

"_Ah!" cried James, leaping to his feet and dodging the cushion she hurled back in his direction. "We're back on last name terms I see, Evans."_

_From the top of the staircase that led to their dormitory, Sirius and Lupin looked in disdain and wonder respectively. _

"_This is sick." muttered Sirius. "Go and get the camera."_

_Lupin soon returned, not wanting to miss a moment of the scene playing out beneath him. He aimed the camera at a laughing Lily who threw her head back as James leapt out of the way of what was to become known as "the demon cushion" and knocked his glasses off._

_He stumbled around, flailing, his arm reaching out as he now crawled along the floor. "I'm blind without my glasses." he informed the sofa to Lily's amusement._

"_Yeah. I can see." she said._

"_Quick, take a picture!" cried Sirius. "This is priceless."_

_CLICK!_

"_What was that?" hissed Lily, her eyes darting for the source of the sound._

"_Probably Remus." answered James, in all honesty. "I remember in second year he became a fan of taking random photographs. He's obviously taken it up again."_

_On the landing, Sirius glanced over at Lupin who was fighting off a violent blush. _

"_Aha!" James had found his glasses._

_They now sat beside one another on the sofa, all talk of prefect duties for fifth years forgotten. Lily felt disgusted with herself. All this time Potter had been begging her to date him and the moment he had sworn never to ask her again, she had fallen for him. This was more than ironic. This was just her luck._

"_So anyway-" he began, trying not to think about how beautiful she was when her hair was loose and slightly matted, when her cheek's pink tinge made her avert her eyes, when her breath came in short gasps._

_That was as far as he got before she leant over, fisted her long, slender fingers in his mop of jet black hair and kissed him._

_CLICK!_

"_Sorry." he mumbled, pulling away. "LUPIN! IF THAT'S YOU UP THERE I WILL HEX YOU INTO NEXT YEAR!"_

_Sirius snorted. Lupin's mouth widened in shock, remembering the first time he had ever got anywhere near close to a certain Miss Lovett and was just about to pluck up the courage to ask her to Hogsmeade when James and his own camera had made an appearance._

"_YOU BLOODY HYPOCRITE!" he shouted down. _

_Lily laughed. "If you're not busy next weekend…then um…if you want to…you know…"_

_James smirked. "In the seven years I've known you, that's the first time I've ever heard you ask a truly stupid question."_


	17. In which Sirius loses it

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A/N: Thanks to those who offered their suggestions and obviously everyone who left reviews. This is for PrincessSkywalkerOrgana who suggested this one. It really stuck out to me.**

The next photograph didn't choke Harry up as much as the last but he still felt the familiar burning sensation in the back of his throat as his mother's distinctive eyes blazed up at him through the picture. His stomach felt like several dragons were doing the Macarena at the pit of it.

"Keep watching." said Sirius as the girl Harry recognised as "Fat Annie" reeled in shock and Lupin dragged Lily away from her.

"Ah…" was all Lupin seemed able to say. He coughed and this was obviously an indication that the explanation would be left to Harry's godfather.

"Good times. Good times." murmured Sirius. "Anyway, it was the last day of term…"

_1978_

_Lily was relieved that her boyfriend no longer took part in the bullying of Severus Snape. She wasn't sure why. He completely deserved it. Still though, watching Sirius disarm her ex-best-friend and suspend him upside down from a tree branch "for old times sake" made her feel sick. _

_As though knowing this, James wrapped his arm around her waist and pinned her down on the grass beside him. They had been sitting by the lake for the last hour while Sirius regularly complained that he was tired of playing gooseberry and teased Lupin mercilessly for his obsession with the printed word, using the very charm Lupin had had to tutor him on, to send the book floating just out of Lupin's reach._

_And then Snape had wandered past, practically power-walking in the vain hope that Sirius would just let him pass._

"_Hey Snivellus!"_

_James had smiled briefly but noticing Lily's glare, adopted a stern manner and threatened his best friend with spending the rest of the evening in detention._

"_You don't want to spend it in a crappy classroom anyway." Sirius snapped back. Ever since James had been dating Lily he had lost most of his sense of fun. "So don't make meaningless threats. Expelliarmus!"_

_And so it was left to a reluctant Remus Lupin to put down his book, head over to the birch tree and try and reason with Sirius who was obviously amused and revelling in the laughter of the students in the surrounding area._

"_Sirius, give him back his wand."_

_Sirius stared at Lupin as though he had grown an extra head. "Levicorpus!"_

_Snape was dragged by his left foot, into the air and suspended there, helpless. Lupin felt his airwaves contract. That could have been him. If he hadn't ended up with James and Sirius, that probably _would _have been him. He was an easier target. He didn't retaliate at all. Sucking in a breath and miraculously growing a spine he said, "Let him down Sirius." coolly in a voice he did not recognise._

_Clearly Sirius didn't recognise it either as he lowered his wand and Snape fell to the floor in a heap of black robes and matching greasy hair._

"_Now give him his wand."_

_Sirius reluctantly threw it at Snape's head, laughing as it bounced off his long nose._

"_I don't any help from _you_!" Snape spat, standing and glaring at a confused Lupin. _

"_No? You know Severus, we're more alike than I think you realise."_

_Lupin's height advantage had silenced Snape momentarily before he found his nerve and hissed, "I am _nothing_ like you."_

_Sirius, who had rarely ever been crosser with Lupin after he had completely ruined his fun, felt a surge of anger rise in him and shouted back, "No because Remus is _decent_!"_

"_He's a monster." Snape whispered._

_Lupin visibly recoiled and stared in horror. "What?" he asked in barely a whisper._

"_Werewolf!"_

"_What did you just say?" hissed Lupin, hardly registering the fact that half the school was standing around them and gazing on in shock._

"_HE'S A WEREWOLF!"_

_Lupin felt as though he was going to be sick. The silence was eerie. James and Sirius now stood beside one another, wands pointing straight at Snape's face. Even Peter had leapt to his feet and threw Snape a withering glance. Lily's hands shook._

_Finally the silence was broken by Lupin's ex-girlfriend. Anna Lovett covered her mouth, emitting a whimper of terror. "I…You…We…"she stammered._

"_We made love yeah." Lupin told the crowd that had gathered to watch and emboldened by fury and a nerve he had never known he possessed added, "Well no, _I_ made love. _You_ had meaningless sex with me and then Mulciber only a few days later. Now that's what I call class."_

_A small nervous laugh escaped Peter's lips. James smirked but Sirius was deaf to all around him. The only thing that stopped him shooting an unforgivable curse at Snape was the fact that his best friend stood between them, addressing the crowd and apparently trying his hand at stand-up comedy._

_Lily gasped. Remus Lupin, probably the most wonderful man she had ever had the fortune to meet, had given himself utterly to the plump, pretty young girl who stood before him and her only response was to gag. Before she knew what she was doing, Lily stood in front of her, staring into her deep brown eyes. She raised her hand and the sound of her long fingers colliding with the soft skin of the other girl's face echoed around the grounds._

_CLICK!_

_No-one chided Peter for taking a photograph. No-one appeared to notice he had as Anna shrieked and Lupin pulled his best friend's girlfriend away._

"_I don't know why you're protecting her." snapped Lily, not relishing being led away firmly by Lupin, whose arm was wrapped round her waist, forming a barrier._

"_I'm not. I'm protecting _you_." he replied. "You're Head Girl. You've got your head screwed on. Surely you know the consequences of tearing her hair out in a full-scale cat-fight."_

_Lily was silenced. She had never seen Lupin so angry. His pupils were huge, although from a distance she would never have known as his eyes were so dark. For the first time in seven years, she saw the wolf in him and she hated it. She hated being the cause for it. She hated herself for hating it._

"_I suppose you think you had sex with a werewolf." said Lupin calmly, addressing Anna as though a crowd of terrified and interested schoolchildren had not encircled them. "Is that why you're so worried?"_

"_You're not even going to deny it?" she asked, incredulous._

"_Why should I?" asked Lupin. "He hasn't got any proof. Neither have _I. _You want me to stand here at the reunion at the full moon with all of you staring out of the windows just in case? Merlin, this is ridiculous!"_

_Snape finally retaliated. "I saw you. You were in the Whomping Willow."_

"_I was _in_ the Whomping Willow?" Seven years of frustration with lycanthropy and fear of what would happen should anyone in school find out, was coming to a head. Sirius and James couldn't have stopped him even if they had _wanted _to. "You know, _Snivellus_, the more you open your mouth, the more this is beginning to sound like The Wizard of Oz!"_

_Snape blushed a violent shade of magenta. "There's a secret passageway. It leads into the Shrieking Shack!"_

_Lupin raised his eyebrows. "Oh yes? And how do you suppose they built that then? Hey, remember that kid who nearly lost his eye? Maybe it was _him_ building it."_

_Lupin shook his head and headed back to his book by the lake. It was Lily's look of utter disgust that silenced Severus Snape. The same look of disgust would silence him on the matter of Remus Lupin for years. He might have been have been Lily Evans's best friend but he had lost her to Lupin the moment he had called her that filthy name and Lupin had comforted her. He might have been in love with her but he lost her to Potter for good the moment he betrayed the trust of the man who had saved his life. It was with a heavy heart that he watched the love of his life run after the werewolf. _

_The crowd eventually dispersed, seeing that nothing exciting was about to happen. Still Snape stood before James and Sirius, his eyes darting between the two, not sure who to be more afraid of._

_James removed a hand from his pocket and unclasped his fist allowing the stolen Snitch to dart away from all three of them._

"_They'll be needing a replacement." he said. "I'd suggest cutting off one of your balls and using that instead but you don't appear to have any."_

_And with that James Potter stalked away after his best friend and his girlfriend leaving just Sirius who quickly wrapped an arm around Snape's neck and tightened his hold, laughing bitterly as he watched the smaller, scrawnier man try to escape. He held his wand against Snape's neck and lowered his head to whisper in his ear;_

"_Try anything like that again and I will personally remove your head from your body and fly over London wearing it as a hat. Are we clear?"_

_Snape nodded hurriedly._

"_I said are we clear?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Yes, what?"_

"_Yes Mr. Black."_

_Sirius laughed cruelly and eventually released him. "One word about this afternoon Snivellus and I will hunt you down and tear you limb from limb with my bare hands now get out my sight."_

1994

*"Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back in Azkaban?"

BANG! Thin, snake-like cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and twisted themselves round Lupin's mouth, wrists and ankles; he overbalanced and fell to the floor unable to move. With a roar of rage, Black started towards Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight between Black's eyes.

"Give me a reason," he whispered. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."*

_Oh how the mighty hath fallen._

***Taken from Chapter 19, pages 263 and 264 of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban**.


	18. In which Peter panics

**Disclaimer: See prologue**

Harry smiled, watching the four boys in the photograph laugh and attempt to dry their hair. Only James Potter had managed to stay dry. Lupin and Sirius were particularly humorous as they both had grown their hair to shoulder length; Sirius to look dashing and Lupin to look slightly less nerdy.

Sirius had swept his ebony hair back and surprisingly it stuck, enabling him to smile and laugh with James and Peter at the image of Lupin whose still auburn hair clung to his fair skin. He would push it out and it would frame his face, widening his charcoal eyes and partially obscuring his scars. He looked nothing like the Lupin Harry knew. The wind would blow his damp hair back into his face and teenaged Lupin would sigh and begin the process once more.

"Back when Remus was sexy." said Sirius, laughing as Lupin threw him a glance that would have made Voldemort himself think twice about approaching him.

"Before my hair changed you mean."

"What happened to your hair anyway?" asked Harry, noting the dark red colour of his former teacher's waves.

"It just gradually got lighter after I turned fourteen. It probably had something to do with the spell your father put on it after I found a grey hair."

"You found a grey hair at fourteen?"

Sirius laughed to himself, running a finger through his ebony locks. "I look about twenty years younger than you."

"Shut up Black!"

"At least my hair still is!"

Lupin took a deep breath and smiled at Sirius in a manner reminiscent of an excited lunatic. It didn't reach his eyes and the effect was certainly manic.

_1972_

"_I'm bored."_

_Lupin sighed. "Sirius, you're always bored."_

"_I'm not. I distinctly remember having a lovely time during the summer."_

_James grinned. "Yeah. Summer at Loopy's. We'll have to make it a tradition."_

_Lupin laughed, secretly pleased that his friends actually wanted to come back. In fact, truth be told, even a year on he was still secretly pleased that he had any friends._

"_Do you know what I want to do?" asked Sirius, grinning to himself._

"_Go girl-hunting?" asked James, smirking._

_Sirius considered this. He smiled. "Yeah that too. Right now, I want to swim."_

"_Yeah," agreed James. "We'll go in the lake. Wait 'til everyone goes to bed, I'll grab the cloak and we'll go."_

_Sirius heartily agreed, Peter whimpered something about a squid and Lupin rolled his eyes._

"_Peter, grow a spine!" snapped Sirius. "You in Loopy?"_

_Lupin slowly lowered his book. His eyebrows were raised. It was never a good sign. He was either about to use biting wit, his phenomenal intelligence or he was about to shout. Either way, the prospects were rarely good._

"_It's November." he told them, obviously choosing phenomenal intelligence. "Sure why not? We'll all just catch the flu together and spend hours queuing for a potion in the Hospital Wing." and also sarcasm because that was what came naturally when attempting to reason with Sirius Black and James Potter._

"_You're no fun."_

"_I'm not going and that's final!"_

_______________________________________________________________________

_He was right. It was freezing but oddly, Lupin didn't feel the cold as much as the others. He supposed it was because he lived so close to the sea where the weather was astoundingly warm in summer and equally cold in the bleak mid-winter. _

_Sirius's teeth chattered beside him but the stubborn streak in Sirius refused to let him admit that he was in any amount of discomfort. He grimaced when attempting to smile and Lupin smirked, fighting the temptation to say, "I told you so."_

_James threw off the cloak, laying it under the birch tree that would later become their spot in the grounds. _

"_So what now?" he asked._

_Sirius's breath turned to ice. However, as the most comfortable in his own skin, he stripped to his underwear and stood at the water's edge for quite some time, staring at the black abyss beneath him. "Sweet Merlin." he hissed as the howling wind almost blew him into the lake._

_Lupin laughed, unbuttoning his school shirt. "I was right, wasn't I?" He kicked off the remainder of his uniform and dived straight into the freezing water. He swam as though it was second nature. Living so close to the sea, he had been swimming for years…since his father had thrown him in the Bristol Channel and hoped for the best. _

"_Watch out for the Giant Squid!" shouted James, laughing and joining Sirius at the water's edge._

_Peter was still debating whether he was reluctant to strip off for fear of the Squid or revealing his body shape. "When they say Giant Squid…what do they mean exactly?" he asked._

"_Well…" said Sirius. "It's a Squid…and it's a Giant one."_

_Lupin grinned and winked at James. He cried out and mimicked being dragged under. Just before he submerged his head, he caught sight of James trying to contain his laughter as Peter almost had a fit. Pettigrew clutched his chest and wailed. Even Sirius, who had been too busy sniping at Peter to catch Lupin's eye, was worried._

_James bit his lip. "Well, someone's going to have to jump in and save him." They all stared into the water. "Don't all offer at once lads." James quipped._

_Peter whimpered. _

"_Something tells me Peter had better stay here. Sirius?"_

"_Why me?"_

"_Well you're already dressed for it."_

_Sirius gulped. He stood up straight and made an attempt at being cavalier. James pushed him in before he could run._

_It was like being punched in the chest. It was unbelievably cold in there. He caught sight of Lupin, holding his breath and stared, outraged. Lupin smiled with tight lips, refusing to open his mouth. He evidently deemed it long enough and kicked his legs until he reached the surface._

"_Where's Sirius?" shrieked Peter._

_Lupin shrugged. "It must have eaten him. He would have wanted us to move on though so may I suggest hot chocolate from an obliging House Elf and going to bed?"_

"_Remus!"_

_Lupin laughed, offering his hand to pull his drenched best friend out of the water. With a wicked glint in their eyes, they approached Peter Pettigrew who was still fully dressed and nodding once, lifted him and swung him three times before throwing him into the lake._

"_I can't swim!" yelped Peter, finally admitting the reason for his fears._

"_Shit!"_

"_Well you're the best swimmer so _you _can go and play the hero this time." said Sirius, wringing out his hair._

_By the time Lupin dragged Peter out of the water, James was holding the camera and gesturing for them to gather round. Lupin slung his shirt on inside out, Sirius pinned his hair back with his tie and Peter brushed weeds off his school trousers. Lupin attempted to push his hair out of his face and Peter merely gasped for breath._

_CLICK!_

"_That was the most terrifying experience of my life."_

"_Peter, you are such a wuss."_

"_Am not."_

"_Are too!"_


	19. In which James compensates

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**Thanks to Dee who nudged me in the direction of this chapter.**

Harry looked on in wonder at the photograph of the four young men. Sirius and James were in exceptionally high spirits, laughing and trying to liven up a disapproving Remus by nudging him. Peter stood on the far left, frightened and frowning slightly.

Lupin smiled at last beside Harry. He laughed quietly to himself and explained, "That was our first full moon together. Well…actually it was the morning _after _our first full moon together."

_1976_

_The floor of the Shrieking Shack was cold and hard and Lupin awoke in severe discomfort. He rubbed his eyes and flattened his hair back into a style resembling normalcy. He ran his long fingers across his cheek. Nothing. No dried blood. No ugly wounds. Nothing. He took a deep breath and checked his neck. Same result. He slowly looked down towards his bare chest, expecting to find a large, gaping hole in his torso. It was remarkably intact. There wasn't even a scratch on him. He didn't remember feeling as much pain as usual either. Despite himself, he couldn't help but grin._

_Deciding he didn't much fancy sharing the sight of his half naked body with his friends, he hurriedly changed into his uniform before shaking the large, shaggy, black dog into action. _

_The dog's silver eyes flew open. He arched his back and stretched his front legs. Before Lupin knew it, Sirius was standing beside him, considerably grumpier in human form. He groaned and ran his hands through his long, black hair._

"_So how bad was it?" asked Lupin._

_Sirius knew he was referring to becoming an Animagus as Lupin had not allowed them to actually see him transform. As soon as he had left the room, they had all adopted their temporary forms. An hour later, a large wolf with reddish-brown fur had descended the stairs into their midst. _

"_It was easy." said Sirius, truthfully. "I can't believe you had the answer all along and you didn't tell us. You could have speeded the whole process up by years."_

"_I wasn't about to help you break the law." explained Lupin, hoping the rat wouldn't bite him as he prodded it._

_After several attempts, Peter returned to his human form, looking very much the little boy lost. His blonde hair jutted out at random angles and his watery blue eyes were dull with lack of sleep._

"_Right," began Lupin. "I have assembled you all here because we now face the challenge of waking our dear friend James-"_

"_Prongs!" protested Sirius. "It's a thoroughly lovely name."_

"_I'm sure it is." murmured Lupin, taking the stag by the antlers, grasping tightly and pulling with all his might._

"_Watch it!" snapped James, whose hair Lupin was currently yanking._

"_Sorry."_

"_So," said James, breaking the awkward silence. "The morning after the night before."_

_Sirius snorted. "You make it sound like you've just had a one night stand with him Potter."_

"_Stranger things have happened." squeaked Peter._

"_A stag." said James, apparently randomly. He was smiling in smug, self-satisfied manner. "I like it. It's big."_

_Sirius caught Lupin's eye and both laughed hysterically._

"_You trying to compensate for something?" asked Sirius._

_James slapped the back of his head and gave his best friend a sarcastic smile. "No. I was just worried I'd end up like our resident gerbil here."_

"_Rat." piped in Peter. "And you said you needed something small so I thought that would be me anyway. It's always me who gets the short straw."_

_It was only five o'clock in the morning and this was not a time that Sirius usually chose to be active unless he was going to bed after a particularly exciting night. He yawned, despite only just waking, and led the way along the passage muttering, "I just can't wait to get back to bed. Thank Merlin it's a Saturday."_

"_Yeah that's just great Pads," said Lupin, smirking, "Except it's a Tuesday."_

_Sirius's resulting obscenities echoed around the grounds, causing birds to flee from their nests._

"_Well," said James, smirking. "I think there was someone in the astronomy tower who missed that. Want to have another go?"_

_Sirius rolled his eyes. "What have we got first?"_

"_Ooh, Transfiguration." cried Peter, finally pleased to know an answer._

"_Bugger!" _

_The three other boys gasped and slowly turned to face Lupin whose hands were shaking. His black eyes were wide with fear._

"_What's the matter Moony?" asked James._

"_I forgot to write my conclusion for that essay. It has to be in today! I knew there was something I was supposed to be doing yesterday night. McGonagall is going to skin me alive."_

"_Hardly." scoffed James. "It's the first time you've ever been late with a piece of homework."_

"_Besides, I think you have a legitimate excuse." said Sirius._

"_Oh yeah," sniped Lupin. "You will excuse its lateness Professor, I was busy turning into a rabid, blood lusting monster last night."_

"_Well _I'd_ accept it." said Sirius._

"_That I _do_ believe."_

"_Cheer up Moony."_

"_Yeah, she's like in love you."_

"_In love with me?" said Lupin, unimpressed._

"_Well James is obviously her favourite."_

_James shrugged. "What can I say? Women love me."_

"_But she's always bending rules for you. She has been since the first day." said Sirius. "Since you turned that matchstick into a needle in ten minutes-"_

"_Five actually." corrected Peter. _

"_See? Even Peter loves you for it."_

_James cast a summoning charm and Lupin's camera zoomed out of his bag and into James' awaiting hands._

"_Come on. All of us squeeze in." said James. "It's a day to be remembered. We're all alive, despite Lupin's protests that he would kill us all-"_

"_And that was _before_ the moon rose." joked Sirius._

_James laughed. Lupin raised an eyebrow._

"_And obviously he's about to be proposed to by the Trans teacher." said Peter._

_They all laughed with him. Only Lupin frowned in annoyance._

_CLICK!_

1995

"There's the answer Remus." said Sirius. "You're always saying you'll never find a woman who'll love you despite your furry little problem. Minerva's probably free on Saturday night if you ask nicely. I could put in a good word for-"

He got no further as Lupin had charmed Hermione's stack of _Witch Weekly_ to fly from the coffee table to Sirius's face. They repeatedly flung themselves at him until he was forced to bury his face in his hands.

"Alright! Alright! I'm sorry."

"What was that?" asked Lupin, demurely, as though he couldn't possibly imagine how the stack of crappy magazines had taken a sudden dislike to his best friend and housemate.

"I'm sorry."

"Didn't quite catch that."

"I'M BLOODY SORRY LUPIN, ALRIGHT?"

"Alright, no need to shout." said Lupin, barely keeping a straight face. He flicked his wand and the magazines fell into a crumpled heap at Sirius's feet.

Sirius shook his hair back into its carefully styled long waves. "Right. Pass me the box Harry."

Harry did as he was told, frowning slightly in confusion.

"Ooh look!" cried Sirius, handing a photograph to Harry. "Here's a nice one."

Lupin knew he was about to pay dearly.


	20. In which Lupin gets a crush

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

Lupin cringed. This was one of the many pictures he had been inclined to hide under his mattress so many years ago.

The young Lupin stood beside a remarkably pretty girl in the Potions classroom. It appeared to be empty with the exceptions of both them and the photographer but they were still busy. Lupin cleaned drops of their abysmal potion from around their immediate area and blushed furiously. The girl beside him talked animatedly while adding extra ingredients to a cauldron full of a spitting, bright orange liquid.

"How old were you?" asked Harry, noting Lupin's cropped auburn hair and bright red cheeks.

"Eleven." mumbled Lupin in response. He refused to say any more on the subject and chose to delve into Hermione's magazines as a means to distract himself. _Witch Weekly_ really was the most absurd thing he had ever read and he had ploughed through an awful lot of trashy literature, both Magical and Muggle.

Harry vaguely recognised the girl. Her curls, the colour of milky hot chocolate, covered one dark eye and her charming smile enhanced the chubbiness of her cheeks.

"I took that one." Sirius told Harry, who detected a hint of pride in his godfather's voice. "Remus threatened to do obscene things to me afterwards. He told me he was going to bind me to the floor, cover my face in jam and wait for the ants to find me."

"And I still regret not following it through." muttered Lupin, darkly, stealing another glance at his younger self.

_1971_

"_Alright," boomed Slughorn in a manner that was bound to intimidate a group of eleven year olds. "I've sat you in alphabetical order. I would like you to turn to the person on your right."_

_There was a scraping of stools as a class full of children turned to take in the person sitting on their right._

"_And this person will be your partner for the remainder of the year. This time, you're going to brew me a cough potion. It's very simple magic and I don't doubt that many of you will find it too easy. I will be inspecting them at the end of the lesson. Begin."_

_The three Marauders had been split up. Sirius was to work with an unbelievably clever looking boy with thick glasses and red hair. They apparently weren't about to get along very well. The red head was already frowning at Sirius who leant against the desk and tapped out a catchy rhythm with his partner's quill._

_James had been forced to have a conversation, albeit about Potions, with the blonde haired, watery eyed, lump of a boy who had practically stalked him round school for the past three days. _

_Lupin glanced over at his partner. She was almost as plump as Pettigrew but considerably more attractive. He thought that he had got the best deal. Her eyes met his and she smiled shyly. Lupin struggled to swallow and just about smiled back._

"_Hello." _

_Her voice was like honey; smooth and sweet._

"_I'm allergic to honey." said Lupin, not realising that his attempt at irony was said aloud._

"_Oh!" she said, clearly thrown and not sure what to say next._

_Lupin's long elegant fingers collided with his forehead and he cringed. This was not going well. _

"_I'm sorry. This always happens around pretty girls."_

_What was wrong with him? It had to be some sort of faulty gene. His mother wasn't very articulate either. Why couldn't he think about what he was saying and then just not say it?_

"_Just shut up Remus." he snapped at himself, realising that this was now slightly psychotic. "Great. Now I'm talking to myself too. I won't blame you if you ask to be moved."_

_The girl laughed and held out her hand for him to shake. "Hi Remus, I'm Anna. Why would I want to move? You're way too much fun."_

_Lupin laughed and took her offered hand. Her skin was warm, soft and the colour of fresh cream. He remembered that after a while, it was customary to let go and dropped her hand as though it had burned him._

"_So, Remus is allergic to honey." she said, as though making notes. "He appears to be a bookworm and a workaholic." she added, watching him speed read his way through the instructions._

"_I'm an abysmal Potioner." he admitted, changing the subject. "My grandmother tried teaching me over the summer and I truly was appalling so I'm apologising in advance."_

_Anna smiled. "Yeah my aunt had a go at teaching me too. I don't know what it is with Potions. I think they believe that it's the only thing that really _can_ teach you without you having to do any practical magic. Anyway, needless to say, I was hardly Potion Brewer of the year. This is going to be hilarious."_

_Lupin had to admire her optimism. "Hilarious" wasn't quite the word he would have chosen._

"_Do you actually know what Lacewing flies look like?" she asked him, lining up the three jars of different flies her basic ingredients list had instructed her to bring._

_Lupin shrugged. "Why don't we just put a bit of everything in?"_

"_I like the way your mind works." she told him, beaming and throwing in a generous handful of three types of dead flies._

"_So do I." he joked, surprised that he was able to string a coherent sentence together, let alone joke around with her. "Now, what else have we got?"_

_He added his jar collection to hers and soon they had almost worked their way through the entire row without following any of the given instructions. Looking around, Lupin noticed that everyone else's potions were the exact same shade of green as a meadow in spring. _Their_ potion was the colour of a Satsuma and about as useful when trying to cure a cough._

_Hence the reason that they spent lunch cleaning and attempting to create a real cough potion. Sirius and James, who stayed because they thought it would be much more entertaining than bothering Evans, had hijacked Lupin's camera and currently looked on in amusement as the shy and retiring Lupin that they had coaxed out of his shell, ducked as his partner flicked drops of their potion at him._

"_Alright!" he cried, forgetting that his best friends were watching. "This means war Lovett!"_

_They laughed and slowly returned to their embarrassed silence. Anna continued to add things to their potion until the obscene colour was slowly fading and Lupin was forced to clean the walls and floor by hand as he had not yet learned the appropriate spells._

"_So what are you doing this weekend?" Anna asked, trying to make conversation._

"_Um…" Lupin blushed, his cheeks turning a violent shade of red. "I don't yet. Why?"_

"_I just wondered."_

_She looked away and bit her lip, embarrassed that she had dared to ask him such a question when it could be interpreted so differently._

_CLICK!_

_Lupin jumped._

"_It's green." shrieked Anna, applauding her own efforts. "I have to meet my friends for lunch. I'll see you on Tuesday Remus." _

_Sirius and James raised their eyebrows and parted, allowing her to run past._

"_You like her." said Sirius, stating the obvious._

"_No I don't." Lupin mumbled, wishing his inflamed cheeks would not betray him so. _

"_Aww, Loopy's got a crush."_

"_Shut up James."_

"_He can't be as bad as you Potter." laughed Sirius. "I don't think you're in any position to laugh at him."_

_Lupin smiled at Sirius, grateful for his friend's intervention._

"_I however," laughed Sirius. "Am perfectly entitled to laugh until my sides are sore."_

_Lupin sighed. It was going to be a long weekend between the pair of them._


	21. In which Peter is paranoid

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A/N:** **Thanks everyone. The response was incredible and I don't think I'm going to top the last chapter but I'll give it my best shot. In particular, thanks to EmmaLeighx who thought this one up.**

Sirius caught Lupin's eye as he handed Harry a photograph depicting the four boys standing together, arm in arm and laughing at Pettigrew who was adorned with almost every symbol of luck known to the Wizarding World.

"What in the name of all that is holy?"

Lupin and Sirius laughed.

"I think Peter is _wearing_ all that is holy." said Lupin, trying to suppress his laughter as the teenaged Peter slapped the extremely younger looking Lupin round the back of the head, earning himself one of Lupin's rare angered glares.

_1973_

_It was a Spring morning like almost any other. The birds outside were singing. The dew on the grass was falling. The trees swayed slowly in the calming breeze. The rain dropped in an almost musical fashion and from his bed, Remus Lupin listened to the rhythm of their beating against the glass panes._

_The room was serenely silent and Lupin had decided that he was going to enjoy the peace and quiet._

_CRASH!_

_Sirius groaned in his state of half-sleep and draped a pillow round his head, attempting to block out the sounds of Peter Pettigrew who was currently emptying his trunk in a paranoid frenzy._

"_Peter!" hissed James. "It's six o'clock in the bloody morning. For Merlin's sake, shut up!"_

"_Do you know what day it is?" Peter asked, his reply as harsh as James's. "Do you?"_

_Sirius punched his pillow. "Yeah well, we haven't all got a degree in day arranging, Peter." he mumbled, _

_Lupin sighed and swung his long legs out from under the warmth of his duvet and into the cold morning air._

"_Come on then Peter," he said, stretching arms that were a little too suspiciously muscular for a boy who had only three days before, turned thirteen. "Put us out of our misery."_

_Peter smiled triumphantly and took a deep breath as though about to disclose a great secret. "It's Friday the thirteenth." _

_Peter made it quite plain that whatever he had expected in response, it was not Sirius grunting and going back to sleep. Nor was it James throwing a pillow at him for being so stupid. Only Lupin showed concern. He certainly looked a little peaky at least. _

"_What's the matter Remus?" asked Sirius, suddenly awake and concerned._

"_It's the full moon." muttered Lupin. He still didn't relish sharing his secret even if it was with his best friends. He would much rather not talk about it._

_Peter whimpered. "Okay!" he shrieked, throwing his clothes back into his trunk. "What happened to my rabbit's foot?"_

"_I think Sirius must have eaten it." laughed James._

"_Well where am I going to get a new one now?"_

_Sirius and James shrugged. Lupin was too caught up in the fact that he had forgotten that tonight was the night of his transformation. What if it hadn't been a significant date for Peter? Would he have remembered in time? Would anyone check that he hadn't just gone into the shack himself?_

_As though reading his mind, James threw his one remaining pillow at Lupin and told him to stop beating himself up about it._

"_I think you'll just have to kill yourself a rabbit Pete." said Sirius, trying to hide his grin._

"_Aren't you superstitious?" asked Peter. "Why haven't any of you come prepared?"_

_Lupin gave a bitter half-smile. "What's the worst that can happen to me?"_

_Peter was obviously about to have a minor panic attack. His breathing was shallow and quick. His hands were shaking and he had broken out into a sweat. Sirius snorted at the very sight of him and climbed back into bed, burying his face in his pillows._

_James was slightly more practical. "Well what's lucky then?"_

_Peter's eyes rolled back in his head as though he was remembering a long list. "Right, I have to wear my lucky underpants."_

"_Please," began Lupin. "Today is going to be hard enough. On top of that, don't make me imagine your underwear."_

_Peter appeared not to have heard him. "I want my lucky rabbit's foot and a four leaf clover and something green and a horseshoe and um…oh I need a lion's tooth for courage and a fox's tail for speed."_

"_What is this Peter?" asked Sirius, from the bed. "A mass cull?"_

"_And I mustn't let a black cat cross my path or Remus will eat me tonight. I mustn't break a mirror or walk under a ladder or step on cracks."_

_Lupin was unimpressed. "I believe you are suffering from paraskevidekatriaphobia."_

"_What's that when it's at home?" asked James, widening his hazel eyes._

"_It's the phobia of Friday the thirteenth." said Lupin, as though this were the most obvious thing in the world. "If you think you're having bad luck Peter then you need to turn yourself around seven times."_

"_Really?"_

"_Oh yeah."_

_Peter closed his eyes and began to turn, counting as he spun on his heels. James threw a questioning glance in Lupin's direction. Remus smirked and his shoulders shook with silent laughter._

"_You're evil." James mouthed._

_Lupin grinned. "That's why you love me."_

_Sirius raised an eyebrow before breaking out into a beaming smile. His entire face lit up and grey eyes, the colour of storm clouds, sparkled with mischief. He leapt to his feet and beckoned for Lupin and James to follow him quietly out of the room._

_Once in the corridor leading down to the Gryffindor Common Room, Sirius allowed himself to laugh. He wrapped an arm around Lupin as though pinning him down. _

"_You're not going anywhere when you hear this, mind." he warned him. "We need you to conjure up some ladders for him to have to walk under and maybe a few easily reparable cracks on the stairs and if you could ask your fat little friend to let her cat out for a bit-"_

"_STOP calling her that!"_

_An awkward silence descended upon them. On the other side of the door they could hear Peter searching for his lucky underwear. They could have heard a pin drop. James took it upon himself to break the silence and the tension by whistling an irritating tune._

"_Alright!" cried Sirius, throwing his hands up in a gesture of mock surrender. "Could you ask whatsername to let her cat out for a minute?"_

_Lupin's black eyes were still cold but he nodded once. "I'll think about it."_

"_I'm sorry Remus. I didn't think it would piss you off that much."_

"_Corse language doesn't impress me. Her name is Anna."_

"_Right. Well ask Anna-"_

"_Okay."_

_Lupin was now smiling in triumph. He had won. He couldn't believe he had shouted like that though. What if they had left him? He would have no friends. He would be another Snape, bullied relentlessly for sport and left to fend for himself in Potions. He shuddered. His life wouldn't be worth living. Though, they all knew what he was and they hadn't buggered off and told everyone yet. Still, it was best not to get on the wrong side of them. He flicked his wand and they now stood under an arch of ladders. He bit his lip. He didn't particularly want to deface school property. Neither did he want to annoy his friends after losing his temper over Anna. He pointed his wand at the stairs and tentatively muttered the curse that caused small cracks to appear in the stonework._

"_Ask her then." said James, pushing Lupin towards the door of the girl's dormitories._

_Lupin knocked the door hurriedly before he could change his mind and Sirius and James disappeared into their dormitory. From outside, he could hear the smash of glass and Peter's despairing wail. He wanted to stop now, this was cruel. It was funny though and ultimately the main choice in life for a man was between doing what was right and what was funny. What separated the Marauders was their ability to allow what was funny to take over all attempts at reason._

_The door was eventually answered by a tired and disgruntled Anna Lovett in a nightgown that barely covered her thighs. She had the decency to blush and make an attempt at covering herself but it was still a disturbingly arousing sight for a hormonal teenage boy who had been secretly in love with her for two years._

"_Remus?" _

"_Yeah." he croaked, hoping his voice wouldn't crack. He couldn't take his eyes off the hem of what served as her pyjamas. "I wonder if I could borrow your cat."_

_Ten minutes later, Lupin found himself holding a crying Peter in his arms. It was a far cry from who he hoped to be embracing at that moment in time. The black cat sat at Peter's feet, staring up at him. Peter had only continued to wail in response as he stood under thirteen ladders, on a staircase of cracked stone with a black cat repeatedly crossing his path on Friday the thirteenth._

"_I feel awful." Lupin mouthed and Sirius and James sighed._

"_I despair of you." said Sirius, not caring whether Peter was still crying hard enough not to notice. "You'll never make it as a Marauder."_

"_Although it has to be said," replied James. "He does have his moments of comic genius. And I am inclined to agree with him. I mean, Merlin, look at Peter."_

_Sirius was resigned to conjuring horseshoes and the feet of rabbits and draping them over Peter who was beginning to feel slightly better. They even placed a four leaf clover in his hair._

"_What do you look like?" asked Sirius, in disgust._

"_It's deserving of a picture." said James, trying not to laugh as Peter turned on the spot seven times once more for luck._

_Lupin evidently agreed and soon returned with his camera._

_The door of the girl's dormitory opened and Anna, now sadly fully dressed, emerged. She picked up her jet black cat and cradled him, letting him loose in order for him to stalk off into the dormitory, presumably to fall back asleep on her bed._

"_Do you want me to take it?" she offered, brushing her fingers against Lupin's as she took his camera. "You look terribly ill Remus." she informed him. "Perhaps you ought to see Madam Pomfrey. Okay, smile everyone! Peter, that is _not_ a smile!"_

_CLICK!_


	22. In which James is outwitted

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A.N: Thanks toMrJosh531 for this idea**

The next picture was of Sirius, James, Lupin and Lily in the Common Room. What was interesting for Harry was watching his father concentrate. They really did look alike then. They could almost have been doubles of one another. Their eyes shrunk and they squinted so the difference in colour was barely noticeable. Both pushed their glasses up with a long index finger. Both ran hands through already messy black hair and their mouths turned up on the left hand side. Harry smiled.

"Oh yeah," said Sirius. "We were choosing our options."

"No." Lupin corrected, his eyebrows raised so high that they had disappeared under his fringe. "_I_ chose my options. _You _copied."

"Well, it set out the pattern for the rest of the term." said Sirius, not realising he was digging himself into an even deeper hole.

"Damn right it did."

Harry laughed, watching Sirius roll his eyes and try to think up a witty retort. After a few awkward moments of silence, Lupin smiled to himself.

_1973_

_Sirius Black was sure to endure lead poisoning if he continued to chew on the end of his pencil. He had lost his quill several days ago and as yet, it had not returned to him. He was fairly sure that Peter had stolen it the moment the opportunity had come along._

"_I don't even know what I want to do." said James. "I'm twelve! They expect me to be able to pick my O.W.L. subjects _now_!"_

"_Just take what you're good at." Lupin advised him._

"_Well what do _I_ take?" asked Peter, extremely flustered._

"_Yeah," sniped Sirius. "Peter can't do _anything_."_

_Lupin's subsequent glare was so much more intimidating that Peter's whimper of depression could ever be and Sirius was silenced._

"_That's a horrible thing to say."_

"_I plan to sponge off Andromeda anyway." announced Sirius, slightly too proud of this for Lupin's liking. "I don't need any qualifications for that."_

_Lupin sighed and ticked the last of his boxes before handing it in to an awaiting Professor McGonagall. Returning, he flung himself into the seat beside Sirius. _

"_I think it's pretty selfish of you." he said, raising an eyebrow. "She's just had a baby."_

"_Yeah Sirius. Maybe _she'll_ want to sponge off Andromeda."_

_Sirius and James laughed. Lupin rolled his eyes. He opened his mouth to argue but realised there was no point. _

"_What are you taking?" asked Peter, sucking the end of a sugar quill his mother had sent him last birthday._

"_If I knew that Peter," snapped James. "I wouldn't _still_ be here."_

_James Potter's foul mood was immediately lifted as a beaming Lily Evans took the seat next to Lupin and began talking animatedly._

"_Did you take Charms?" she asked, hoping that he had. Of course, Lily would never admit it but she had the biggest crush on Remus Lupin. _

"_Of course I did." he told her. "And Potions, though you'll have to help me in that if I have even a hope of passing."_

_James ticked both Charms and Potions, hoping to be close enough to make her fall in love with him using the old standby of the Potter charm. He would give her his special winning smile and wink at her as he passed her. The plan was flawless…or so he thought._

_Sirius followed suit, knowing that when he had trouble in Charms, Lupin would be forced to help him because the trouble with Remus Lupin was that he had a conscience. He was also willing to do pretty much anything with them and although he didn't often take part in or support ninety-nine per cent of their harebrained schemes, he would never stop them or turn them in. Sirius believed the real problem was that Lupin liked to be liked._

"_What else did you take?" she asked him, as he was her only intellectual competition. "I went for Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology and Divination."_

"_Same." he said, trying to hide his wince at Divination. "Except that last one. I think Divination is just too woolly. It's all guesswork anyway. I took Astronomy."_

_James ticked subjects as Lily listed hers on her fingers. Sirius rolled his eyes and copied Lupin's exactly. Peter followed suit, glad that there was at least someone friendly to help him._

_The three all leapt to their feet and handed their sheets into their head of house. They returned to find Lupin and Lily now in a deep and heated debate about Divination and its many faults._

"_But it's useful!"_

"_I fail to see how trying to find omens of darkness in a teacup is useful!" Lupin looked away for the briefest of moments to acknowledge his friends and Lily took this as a sign of surrender._

"_So what did you three take?"_

_Sirius and Peter told Lupin they had taken the same things. Peter admitted that he needed help and Sirius assured him that he had only taken Charms with him despite his appalling performance in the subject because he so firmly agreed with Lupin that Divination was worthless. Lupin smirked knowingly but didn't betray Sirius who Lily was obviously warming to now that she thought him capable of independent thought._

_James smiled and slid into the seat beside his crush. "So Lily petal, what did _you_ take?"_

_Lily frowned slightly at the nick-name he had given her but told him anyway._

_James grinned and faked surprise. "Well what do you know, they're just the subjects _I_ chose. Wow, looks like we'll be seeing an awful lot more of each other."_

_Lily didn't look half as pleased as James. She pursed her lips and her nostrils flared. Her speech was slow and quiet, decidedly menacing in fact. "Potter, you're a terrible actor."_

_Lupin bit back his laughter and failed. James had to admire his strength. Sirius hadn't bothered at all. He was now laughing so hard that tears were appearing at the corner of his eyes._

_James did not look impressed. Lily smiled appreciatively. _

"_You know Potter, maybe you ought to take subjects that you actually have a hope of passing."_

"_Hey! I'm top of the class in Transfiguration. For once it's not you or Remus."_

_This didn't improve Lily's mood. Nor did he rise in her estimations._

"_Really? Top of the class eh?"_

_James should have known that what was about to come would not be pleasant. Somewhere in the back of his mind he was fully aware of this and knew that he really ought to stop grinning like an imbecile._

"_So you know what Chomolunga is then?"_

"_Of course I do."_

"_And it's Transfiguration related?"_

"_Obviously._ _I could probably write a book on it. You forget Evans, I'm better at it than you."_

_Beside him, Lupin cringed and covered his eyes with his right hand, slowly shaking his head._

_Lily raised her eyebrows and smirked. "Well you obviously_ don't _know, Potter because it's the ancient name for Mount Everest."_

"_Oh…"_

_James looked confused. He was obviously trying to work out how insulted he should be._

_CLICK!_

_Lupin emitted an exasperated sigh. _

"_Peter, will you leave my camera alone?!"_


	23. In which Lupin learns

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A/N: Just because I'm in an angsty mood and I feel that Lupin should be too.**

Harry barely contained his laughter at the sight of the picture Sirius handed him. Sirius was now grinning broadly and staring at Lupin, awaiting a response. He might as well have watched paint dry. Lupin's poker face was the stuff of legend. He merely raised his eyebrows with polite interest as though he was engaging in a conversation about the colour of his mother's curtains and not watching a half-naked younger version of himself stare at Sirius and a curly haired female in their dormitory.

"Um…Remus?" said Harry, tentatively approaching the subject as though he was diagnosing his former professor with an embarrassing disease.

"Don't ask me about it." said Lupin, his smile slowly spreading across his face. "I think your godfather knows more about it than I."

Sirius laughed. "I know more on the subject of _women _Remus, but no-one, and I mean _no-one_,knows more about bed than you. You'd spend your life tucked up somewhere warm and comfortable if you could."

Personally, Harry saw nothing wrong with that and almost expressed his desire for those things too. Until he realised that this wasn't a personality trait that endeared Sirius to anyone.

"You say 'comfort' like it's a dirty word Padfoot."

"Stop procrastinating and explain your nudity!" cried Sirius, half laughing as he did so.

"Well that was a conversation killer."

"Remus!"

"Alright, alright. And stop implying I'm naked."

_1978_

_Summer had arrived. Summer was unbearably hot. Summer nights were sleepless with discomfort. Summer was not a time to be wondering whether your girlfriend had downsized in the pyjama department._

_The heat was very slowly affecting Lupin. As he and the others had decided to crawl into bed at half past one that Sunday morning, the temperature was perfect. The room was warm and his sheets were decidedly cooling. An hour later, he had noticed the rise in temperature and merely rolled onto the other side of the bed. Now however, his body heat had made almost any position uncomfortable and thoughts of kissing Anna Lovett for the first time only a matter of hours ago were making it damn near impossible to sleep. Knowing that he now had a girlfriend and that she had been wearing revealing nightgowns for the last four years and was clearly as comfortable in her own skin as it was possible for an overweight teenaged girl to be, and therefore game for pretty much anything including (as she had once joked) wearing only Chanel No.5 to bed, was equally distracting._

_He shifted uncomfortably and groaned. He had done everything he could. He had tried charming fresh air to circulate round the room. He had tried transfiguring Sirius' broomstick into a handy fan (and almost earned himself a black eye for his efforts). He had even, in a sign of true desperation, chopped off his beloved shoulder-length waves of sandy hair that made him look decidedly cooler than he was._

_There was only one thing for it. He sat up in bed and pulled off the t-shirt he wore to bed, advertising a _Beatles_ tour in '69._

_That was better. The cool air wrapped itself around him like a blanket. NO! _Don't _think about blankets. He took a deep breath and revelled in the sensations of a warm, bare chest and icy fingers travelling down it. Okay! Where had metaphorical fingers come from? He had to control himself. Not fingers. Not a bare chest. Not after thinking about Anna…_

_It was going to be a long night. A long night in which he would have to repeatedly take cold showers (but at least the boys wouldn't be suspicious in this weather) and slap himself._

_He yawned and waited for sleep to slowly take over him, rendering his long limbs useless and numb with heat. It never came, although he hadn't felt his legs for the high temperature in hours so he didn't suppose that counted. The fact of the matter was that he was not asleep…and he _should_ be._

_He was so wrapped up in his own twisted thoughts that he failed to hear the door creaking on its ancient hinges. _

_By the time he registered footsteps padding around the dorm, he thought it was Sirius and James, leaving with the cloak for a relatively large midnight…he supposed the right term would be 'feast' judging by the amount the obliging house-elves provided without fail._

_Or Peter…snooping probably._

_He drifted back into his reverie and began to debate what would happen to him over the course of the next year. It was May now, they had only until July left in school and then he had to face the big, wide world. Naturally, since the anti-Werewolf Legislation, Sirius and James had promised to provide for him and both offered him a home with them but somehow, he couldn't imagine it. James was already engaged to Lily. When they left, they would buy a little house somewhere with ivy trailing down it and have a cat, a dog, several pot plants and a baby…scrap that, knowing James, _lots_ of babies. Werewolves didn't come into that at all. _

_Sirius currently had no home to provide. He had been living with the Potters and Lupin couldn't imagine Mr and Mrs. Potter allowing him to live with them for the rest of his life, let alone allowing Lupin in too. Either that he would move back into Grimmauld. That was about as likely as Snivellus revealing himself as the Easter Bunny. No, that just wasn't about to happen so he could forget Sirius and James._

_Peter. He could go and live with Peter._

_He would rather shove a wasp's nest down his…_

"_AHHHHH!"_

_Lupin leapt out of bed, wand at the ready and wished he hadn't seen what he did. His girlfriend of four hours was wearing only her underwear and both she and Sirius were climbing out of his bed. Worse! James and Peter were now watching with amused horror._

"_O…kay." he said slowly. He was fine. He was calm. He was…making Sirius cry out in surprise and pain. Lupin realised his wand was pressed so deep into Sirius' neck that a large, deep red mark was forming and he was struggling for breath. He knew he should remove it. He _wanted_ to remove it but a small, alien part of him pushed it in harder._

"_Remus!"_

_And suddenly he felt the cold hands of James on his shoulders and he vaguely recognised the sensation of being dragged away. There was a foreign ringing in his ears that made him deaf to all around him and the red mist had descended._

"_Moony!" _

_He knew it was Sirius. He knew Sirius was his best friend. So why in the name of all that was holy, did he want to wound him beyond recognition?_

"_Moony! It's not what you think. For once, I was in bed with a girl and I wasn't trying to sleep with her. I was in bed with a girl and she was trying to sleep with _you._ Listen Remus, she's not my type."_

_Lupin's breath came in short, ragged gasps. "Your type?" he hissed. "You haven't _got _a type. Your 'type' is two tits and a heartbeat and even then you might consider skipping out on that last one."_

_He threw his t-shirt at Anna who was blushing so furiously that she looked as though she had been raised by a family of friendly radishes._

_CLICK!_

"_Peter, fuck off!"_

_The room fell silent. No-one could quite grasp that Remus Lupin had lost his temper. Remus Lupin didn't _have_ a temper. He had sworn. He _never _swore._

"_I am _not_ trying to have sex with Sirius Black." said Anna, in barely a whisper. "I don't even like him Remus. In fact, I would go as far as to say that I _hate_ him. He's made obesity jokes in front of and about me for the past seven years. Trust me, the last thing on my mind was shagging the bad attitude out of him!"_

_Lupin heard her. He just didn't listen._

_The slap echoed around the room making them all wince, even Anna before she stormed out. It took Lupin a few minutes to realise that the burning of his left cheek was in response to suggesting that his now ex-girlfriend was a tart. His second slap in as many days. This was a record._

_The door slammed behind Anna and the awkward silence descended. Lupin slowly came to his senses and noticed that Peter had crawled into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin. James was staring at him as though he announced he had had sex with Lily and Sirius wasn't looking at him at _all_. He couldn't decide which was worse. He would start with the easiest._

"_Peter, I'm sorry."_

_Peter whimpered his response._

"_I didn't mean to lose it with you Pete. It wasn't your fault but you insist on taking photographs at the most inopportune moments and it's bloody infuriating."_

_Peter smiled faintly but made no comment._

"_James, I know I'm an idiot. Thanks for…er…for doing what you did."_

_James nodded and clasped his shoulder. Two down. One to go._

"_Sirius?"_

_Sirius nodded slowly. His eyes shone in the darkness. Lupin bit his lip. What the hell was he supposed to say after that little outburst? It was so female._

"_SiriusI'mapratandI'mreallysorryandIunderstandifyouneverwanttospeaktomeagain."_

_Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Hey whoa Loopy, slow down."_

_Lupin sighed with relief at the use of his old nick-name. "I'm a real idiot. It's just that I saw you both and I put two and two together-"_

"_And you made five."_

"_Yeah."_

_Sirius laughed. "Well other than scaring me half to death, you didn't do any lasting damage so don't worry about it. I know my reputation precedes me."_

_Lupin was surprised that he had been forgiven so easily. Sirius held grudges for months after the event until he couldn't really remember why he hated the person in question._

"_Um…right, well thanks Padfoot. I really don't deserve it."_

_Sirius rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid. Hey! Where do you think you're going?"_

"_Back to bed." answered Lupin. "It's four o'clock in the morning."_

"_Don't you think you'd better go and speak to Anna?"_

"_Far be it from you to dish out love advice Potter." laughed Sirius. "He's right though." he said, suddenly serious. "If nothing else," he added, smiling and returning comfortably to character. "She's still wearing your favourite t-shirt."_

_______________________________________________________________________

_Lupin shivered. Although it was the middle of summer and it was warm, it was not advised to take off one's top and wander round the castle grounds at four a.m. in only one's pyjama pants._

"_Annie?"_

_The figure beside the lake ignored him. _

"_Anna, I'm so sorry. I can't tell you how sorry I am. I'm not normally like that. I think it was lack of sleep…and chocolate."_

_Slowly she stood and walked towards him. Standing before him, she pulled him to her by his cropped sandy hair. For a moment he thought she was going to kiss him._

"_Don't ever think that I find Sirius Black of all people, more attractive than you because it's just not happening. Remus, I thought he was _you_."_

"_I'm sorry."_

"_I know. You've said."_

_Lupin sighed. "Well what else can I do?"_

"_You can prove it."_

_Her smirk made his insides collapse in the most delicious of sensations. The feel of her hands in his hair and the scent of her perfume lingering in the very air he breathed coupled with the memory of the taste of her on his lips was very slowly undoing him._

"_For future reference," he told her. "I sleep in the bed next to the window."_

_His subsequent slow and passionate kiss was presumably proof enough, as when they eventually broke apart, Anna Lovett's smile was wide enough to result in a slight pain in her facial muscles._

_He tried to refrain from grinning and giving in to cockiness but failed miserably. He leant in closer to her so that his next words, which he was sure to regret, were said as a whisper that ignited a spark in her as they tickled her lips._

"_I'm about to tell you that I love you. Is that okay?"_

_Not waiting for her response, he kissed her again as the first drops of summer rain landed on their heads. Anna shivered._

_CLICK!_

"_It's probably Peter." Lupin told her, pulling away only to disclose this information and advise her on what to do next before his lips found hers once more. "Just ignore him when he's got my camera. _I_ do."_


	24. In which Sirius plays nurse

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

The next photograph was taken in the Gryffindor dormitory. Harry raised an eyebrow at the image of his father with watering, bloodshot eyes, lying in bed and sneezing. Sirius sat by his knees and occasionally patted his head affectionately as one would a treasured pet. James was clearly unimpressed.

"Er…right." said Harry, wondering why he had been shown such a photograph.

"Lily had hexed that onto him." explained Lupin. "It was the middle of summer and James had to spend days cooped up in bed with tissues and chocolate frogs."

"Why didn't he just go to Madam Pomfrey?"

"Because he was James." said Sirius, simply.

"Surely he _should_ have."

"He didn't need Madam Pomfrey, he had _me_."

"Exactly." muttered Lupin.

_1975_

_It was July. The area around the lake was so packed that it was just as well the Marauders had not been able to leave their dormitory._

_James sneezed for the fourth time in about as many seconds and Lupin looked up from his book. Seeing that Sirius was already on hand to torment their dear friend, he returned to the Complete works of Shakespeare._

"_You know James, you wouldn't have to be in this state if you'd stop hassling her."_

_Lupin made the remark without so much as glancing up from his page. James sneezed in protest. Sirius glared over at their so-called-friend._

"_Yes Remus," he said as James gestured for him to shut up and pass him a tissue. "That's _really _helping."_

_James coughed and tried to reach for his glasses. Sirius misinterpreted the gesture and clasped his hand._

"_I know. I'm here for you Jamie, I'm here for you."_

_Lupin hid his laughter behind his thick book and broke off another square of chocolate. He placed one on his tongue, waiting for it to melt, and handed the bar to Sirius, passing it over the top of the page and continuing to read._

"_Aww, thanks Fruit-Loop." said Sirius, taking a large bite out of it._

"_I thing it was for be Thiriuth." _

_And he sneezed._

_Lupin couldn't help but laugh. "What _do_ you sound like? You should go to the Hospital Wing and have it sorted. Just have done with it. Sirius, for heaven's sake, he's right. The chocolate's for him."_

_Sirius toyed with the empty wrapper momentarily before clamping a hand over James' mouth and assuring Lupin, who was still obscured from sight by the obscenely large book he was reading, that James had already eaten it and was visibly on the mend._

"_That's good." murmured Lupin. "Look, don't distract me a minute, Romeo's just about to take the poison."_

"_No." Sirius corrected him. "Romeo is here on the bed, dying of flu."_

_James sneezed to emphasise the point._

_Lupin snapped the book shut and sat beside Sirius on James' bed. "Alright. You have my full and undivided attention. Has it helped?" he asked, raising an eyebrow._

_James coughed violently but nodded. He lay back on his pillow and muttered, "You're better thad hib adyway."_

_Lupin sympathised completely. Sirius shook his head, disbelieving._

"_He doesn't know what he's saying Remus. I think he's delirious."_

"_Hmm." Lupin caught James' eye and grinned. "Listen James, as much as Florence Nightingale here is helping, I really think you should see Madam Pomfrey."_

"_I card!"_

"_Excuse me."_

"_I said 'I card'."_

_Sirius furrowed his brow. "I think that means 'I can't'."_

"_Thank you Captain Obvious." quipped Lupin, rolling his eyes. "Why not James?"_

_James sneezed violently and Sirius handed him Peter's shirt. "Here, blow your nose."_

_Lupin buried his face in his hands, trying to escape to his 'happy place'. Taking a deep breath, he emerged to find James continually blowing his nose in what he didn't recognise as Peter's shirt to no avail and Sirius fixing his hair in the reflection in his best friend's glasses._

"_James, if you won't go to the Hospital Wing, _I _will and I will bring Madam Pomfrey here. And please detach yourself from Peter's shirt."_

"_Where _is _Peter anyway?" asked Sirius, handing an almost blind James, yet more of Peter's clean laundry._

"_I don't know." replied Lupin. "Maybe he has better things to do with his Saturday than watch over you two and make sure neither of you wind up dead."_

_Lupin threw on his cloak, watching James shiver with horror and fling Peter's clothes onto the other side of the room._

"_Rebus, you mustn'd!"_

"_Merlin James! Which is more important, your health or your pride?"_

"_Dat's easy! Hands dowd, my pride."_

_Lupin rolled his eyes, sighed and removed his cloak._

_An hour later, Lupin still had not managed to read past Juliet's death. His eyes were wide. His muscles were clenched. His hair was practically standing on end. On the plus side, James had been silent for a few minutes. However, Sirius was making enough noise for the pair of them._

"_Remus?"_

_Lupin pretended not to have heard him._

"_REMUS!"_

_Lupin slammed the book down on the table and stared up at Sirius, his eyes almost bloodshot. "What, Sirius? _What_?"_

"_Remus, I think he's dead."_

"_Don't be stupid."_

"_Remus, I really think he is."_

_Lupin frowned slightly. He had never seen Sirius this worried. He slowly approached James' bed as one approaches a guillotine, afraid that he really might find a dead body lying there._

"_Look," said Sirius, appearing beside him and making him jump. "He's not even moving and his eyes are closed."_

"_Yes Sirius, that's because he's asleep. Merlin, I can't take much more. Three days he's been like this."_

_And without James' wide hazel eyes to widen like a kicked puppy's and make guilt pool at the pit of Lupin's stomach, he left for the library._

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"_Sorry Remus, much as I would _love_ to help and all…"_

_Lupin ran a hand through his hair, pushing his fringe back. His warm, black eyes pleaded with her and Lily Evans had to admit that there was nothing she wouldn't do for this boy._

"_Lily, you cast it."_

"_Because he wouldn't leave me alone."_

_Lupin tried to maintain his stern manner. She had been unfair but he knew first hand how irritating James Potter could be when he wanted something. Right now, he couldn't blame her._

"_I'm not asking you to go up and kiss it better. I am asking you to be_ fair_."_

_Lily Evans rolled her eyes._

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"_Alright, Nurse Black?"_

_Nurse Black looked up from The Complete Works of Shakespeare. "How the hell do you read this? It's a load of dung!"_

"_Did you just call the works of the greatest playwright in history, 'a load of dung'?"_

"_No. I called the works of _this _bloke a load of dung."_

_Lupin rolled his eyes and took the book from him, no mean feat when it weighed almost as much as him. _

"_How's James?"_

_Sirius grunted noncommittally. "Still asleep. He's boring when he's asleep. There's only so many times you can fluff a guy's pillow."_

"_I have a wicked idea."_

_Sirius perked up immensely and his eyes had returned to their usual bright keenness. "Remus Lupin…wicked idea…? I'm not sure those words belong in the same sentence."_

"_It's alright." Lupin assured him. "I'm going to redeem myself straight afterwards."_

_Upon entering their dormitory, they found James Potter now wide awake and sneezing once more. Sirius sat beside him and brushed the damp hair from James' face. Lupin smirked and pulled out his camera and his wand._

_CLICK!_

"_Rebus!"_

"_If you can't say your 'm's, call me Lupin." and with that Lupin cast the counter curse. _

_James sat up in bed as though he had just woken from a long night's sleep. "Well that was fun. Thanks Remus."_

"_Don't thank me. Thank Lily."_

_Hours later, as a sneezing James crawled into the dormitory half way through "_A Midsummer Night's Dream_", Lupin regretted telling him that._


	25. In which Sirius is named

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A/N: Kind of short one today because I'm supposed to be working…eek!**

The teenaged Lupin was like a man possessed as he ran down the stairs that led from the dormitory to the Common Room, startling Sirius who was (for once) reading.

Harry laughed at the look of sheer terror that graced his godfather's face before Lupin threw himself onto the sofa beside him, a wild look in his eyes that signalled he had had a brainwave.

"Wait! You were _reading_?" scoffed Harry, turning to the rather bedraggled man on his left.

Sirius smiled. "For inspiration. I was looking for my Marauder nickname. I don't know why I bothered. After all those weeks of the Marauders consisting of Moony, Wormtail, Prongs and Snuffles, it came to Moony in a dream, didn't it Moony?"

Lupin rolled his eyes and smiled sarcastically.

"You make me sound like Jesus, Padfoot."

"You were." Sirius confessed. "You saved my reputation. The 'Snuffles' incident nearly ruined me. Girls wouldn't go near me, Snivellus was laughing at me…it was horrible; just horrible."

_1975_

_It was to be a Christmas eve like no other. The Marauders were the only Gryffindors to remain behind over the Christmas holidays as James and Sirius had taken it upon themselves to encourage as many people as possible to spend the holiday at home because 'Christmas is a time for family'._

_Lupin's mother had practically begged him to come home. Privately, Lupin agreed with her. Surely he should be sitting in the living room, looking out onto the sea and watching the waves crash onto the walls of the cliffs on which he lived, listening to his mother's '_Christmas with Frank and Bing'_ record on repeat. It didn't feel right to be lying in bed at half past ten in the Gryffindor boy's dormitory and he imagined that listening to Peter Pettigrew singing 'Mary's Boy Child' was what those in the deepest darkest circles of hell were subjected to._

_It was comforting to hear his voice though. It told Lupin that he had been dreaming. He was now fifteen years old and he had had a nightmare. He was disgusted with himself but relieved that he wasn't dead, killed by a large black dog with sharp, white teeth. He shuddered. This dog had been a regular feature in his nightmares for years, since reading '_The Hound of the Baskervilles_'._

_He had taken it upon himself to research this dog at the age of twelve and found that the moors in the neighbouring county were supposedly home to a large, black, ghostly dog. Ever since he had been paranoid. There was a Padfoot after him. There had to be if he kept dreaming of it but he had to keep dreaming of it because it was after him. It was a vicious circle really._

_He sat up in bed with a jolt. That was it!_

"_Where's Sirius?"_

_James, who was now conducting Peter, glanced over, wished him a merry Christmas and shrugged before joining in with the chorus._

"_Why?" he asked as Peter launched into the third verse with renewed vigour._

"_I've found him a name." said Lupin, throwing on a battered and patched, grey cardigan for warmth as he sprinted out of the dormitory._

"_Come on Pete, this is going to be good. He's replaced Snuffles." said James, grinning and reaching for Lupin's camera._

_Just as James and Peter closed the door, Lupin leapt down the stairs and yelled "Padfoot! I've only gone and bloody found it! It was right in front of me all along! Padfoot!"_

_Sirius glanced up from his book and the image before him evidently took a moment to register as he took a second look with wide eyes as Lupin bounded over to him and sat beside him on the sofa._

_CLICK!_

"_It all fits." said Lupin, ignoring the camera flash and hardly even pausing for breath. "Sirius is the dog star! Your patronus is a dog! The black dog is a symbol of your family! The clues were everywhere!"_

_Sirius closed his book and slowly turned to James._

"_Alright, what have you given him?"_

_Receiving only a shrug and hysterical laughter in response, Sirius turned to face Lupin who was beaming at him in an almost maniacal fashion._

"_So what's all this Padfoot nonsense?"_

"_That's your nick-name." said Lupin. "I dreamt it."_

"_Sweet Merlin. What are you, a prophet?"_

_Lupin's hurt expression silenced Sirius's laughter._

"_No I like it Loops, I really do. It makes me sound cooler than I am. It was just the way you said it. So what's a Padfoot then? I imagine from your frenzied ramblings that it's a dog." laughed Sirius, in mock seriousness._

_Lupin grinned. _

"_Well yeah. It's a black dog that roams moors and graveyards and stuff and basically it claims the souls of all those who have sold them to the Devil."_

_Sirius blinked twice. _

"_It sounds like my mother."_

_James laughed so hard, he almost fell off the armchair he had claimed. Sirius smiled, glad that he had regained his sense of humour now that his friends were not referring to him as 'Snuffles' at every opportunity they got. Now if he could only regain his status as 'Sex God' then the world would return to a state resembling normal._

"_I like it." he said eventually. "Padfoot. It's much better than Snuffles anyway."_

"_Yeah actually," said James, sitting straight. "Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. It's got a certain ring to it."_

"_Yeah," agreed Peter. "It's quite catchy."_

_Sirius frowned slightly, deep in thought._

"_Is it just me," he asked eventually. "Or does Moony always have the answer?"_

_Lupin's subsequent grin could have powered a small city._


	26. In which James rehearses

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

"Good grief!" exclaimed Lupin, glancing at his watch for the first time since he and Sirius had begun their reminiscing. "It's half past one in the morning. Harry, aren't you tired? You've been up for hours."

Harry shook his head, unnoticed by Sirius who wrapped an arm around him and told Lupin firmly that Harry wasn't in the least bit tired and would like a whiskey. Lupin raised an eyebrow.

"Go and get some of those beers Tonks brought round." Sirius instructed. "I think Molly put a freezing charm on them so they're probably like ice lollies by now but they'll thaw."

Lupin sighed and soon returned with three, one of which he reluctantly gave to Harry.

"Are you a wizard or aren't you?" asked Lupin, defrosting his with a flick of his wand.

"I'm fairly sure you should have been my godfather." Harry told him, laughing. "You're so much more responsible."

"Where's the fun in that?" asked Sirius, taking a swig which emptied almost half the bottle. "Although I think if you'd been a girl, he would have been."

Harry frowned in confusion. "Huh?"

Lupin cocked his head to one side, interested in this new theory. "And how does that work?" he asked. "I'm still a werewolf no matter the sex of mini Prongs."

"Well if Harry had been a girl I wouldn't have seen him until his seventeenth when I would have taken him out for a celebratory drink and then tried to have sex with him. Had Harry been a girl, _you_ would bake a cake, advise him on the right sort of man to marry and then beat to a pulp any man who looked twice at him…or should that be her?"

Harry laughed, almost choking.

"Will you stop making me out to be gay?" said Lupin with a roll of his eyes. "Bake a cake indeed. Would you like a cake for your seventeenth Harry? Because if you would, I'm the master of chocolate sponge."

Sirius doubled up with laughter and took another 'man-size' swig, throwing his head back.

"Okay, you know what," began Lupin. "Let's just have another photo."

_1978_

_James Potter paced. His hands shook. He would be fine. He could practise on one of the boys. Not Sirius though; frankly, anyone but Sirius who would insist on bullying him relentlessly for the rest of his life if he did. Peter wouldn't play along. He decided he would ambush a loved-up Remus Lupin and hope he was in the mood to play Lily for five minutes._

______________________________________________________________________

_The Common Room was packed and Lupin tried to keep his voice to a whisper. He was sure that Sirius would repeat his every word at maximum volume anyway so he oughtn't have been worried._

"_You had sex with her?"_

_Lupin glared at his oh-so-subtle friend. "Yes." he hissed, hoping his girlfriend wouldn't hear him discussing their sex-life with Sirius Black._

"_Get in there Moony!"_

"_Shut up!" Lupin pleaded, watching Anna frown in slight confusion. He shrugged in response to her questioning look._

"_When did that happen?" asked Peter. "Where did it happen?"_

"_What are you Peter," asked Sirius, laughing. "Some kind of pervert?"_

_Lupin answered his questions with false military precision. "Last night, my bed."_

"_Oh my fucking God!"_

"_Sirius!"_

"_Did she try and 'cuddle' you?" asked Sirius, with a pained expression that said he could imagine nothing worse. "That's the great thing about only doing the deed in broom closets at six p.m., girls never want to be 'cuddled'."_

_Lupin gave him a look of absolute disgust. "Yes she did."_

"_What did you do?" _

_Both Peter and Sirius now sat on the edge of their seats, anxiously awaiting their answer._

_Lupin looked confused. "What do you _think_ I did? I obliged." he added, jokingly._

_Sirius shook his head. There was no hope for Lupin now._

"_Remus, you're a man. You just got laid. You should go out and kill a bear or something."_

"_I didn't _want_ to kill a bear. I wanted to _sleep_. It was gone midnight."_

_Before Sirius could argue his point further, James finally decided to grace them with his presence and soon became the focal point of the conversation. He waved nervously back at Lily and averted his eyes. Lupin and Sirius shared an anxious glance._

"_What's the matter?"_

"_Remus, as the charmer, can I ask you a favour?"_

_Sirius coughed. "_I'm_ the charmer."_

"_No," James corrected him. "You're the dirty womaniser."_

"_Hey! There's a difference between dirty and easy. I'm _easy_."_

_Lupin laughed, incredulously. "Sure, how can I help?"_

_James stood and shifted his weight onto his right leg. His eyes seemed to refuse to meet anyone else's and he cleared his throat._

"_Um…can we go somewhere else?"_

_Lupin's eyebrows almost met, he frowned so hard. He shared a worried glance with Sirius before following James back to the dormitory._

"_Look," he began, not really sure how to phrase this. He wasn't sure he was the best person to advise James. "Are you sure it's me you want to talk to? Sirius is-"_

"_Padfoot will just take the piss for forever and a day."_

_Lupin raised his eyebrows, not sure whether he wanted to hear whichever sordid confession James was about to make. He was already developing theories, most of which involved either embarrassing illnesses or cheating on Lily, or cheating on Lily and catching an embarrassing illness. Yes, that was probably it._

"_I should warn you," said Lupin. "That your girlfriend and I are very close friends and if you should tell me that you've been sleeping around and now have a highly infectious and distressing condition, I _am_ going to tell her."_

_James laughed, for which Lupin was grateful. He had eased the tension somewhat and James had relaxed a great deal. He smiled, slightly abashed, and sighed before launching into an explanation. _

"_Merlin no! Her sister's about to marry this…well, this arsehole…I've seen pictures Moony and they disturb my dreams. Lily is pretty upset because she wasn't invited and apparently she and that bloody awful sister had a pact that whoever married first would have the other as maid of honour etcetera and the lovely Mrs. E. wrote to Lily and told her that Petty Petunia was getting married and sent her a picture of her and this man. I swear Moony, he looks like a balding whale."_

_Lupin couldn't help himself. He had to laugh. "Balding?"_

"_I know! He's in his twenties apparently and he's already going bald. To think we worried about your sole grey hair. You've had it easy!"_

_Lupin rolled his eyes, noting that his sandy hair still had not returned to its natural colour. He really ought to have tried to do something about that but deep down, he thought it suited him._

"_So anyway, you asked to talk to me because…?"_

_James clicked his tongue. "I'm getting to it Moony. Thing is, that the _lovely _Petunia hasn't even invited Lily to the wedding. So when Lils told me all this, I told her that what she should do is get married first and then really offend her sister. Of course, Lily's too nice not to invite her…"_

"_James, do you think maybe you're reading too much into all this?"_

_James shook his head and ran his fingers down his cheeks, stretching the skin and making Lupin wince._

"_Thing is Remus, I proposed to her."_

_Lupin sat up straight. His eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat. He gestured for James to continue._

"_She obviously said no." James told him. "I don't know what I was expecting. It was really half-arsed."_

_Lupin pitied him, though he would never let on. If there was one thing James hated, it was pity. A shrewd expression on Lupin's face highlighted old and faded scars. He was obviously thinking hard._

"_Well…" he said eventually. "What did you say?"_

_When James told him, Lupin was tempted to hit some sense into him. "You do _not_ propose to a girl like that! You have to do it properly. Frankly, I don't blame her. If you'd proposed to _me _and said that, I'd have smacked you for it."_

"_I'm surprised she didn't to be honest." James admitted. "I think she thought I was joking."_

"_Well it sounded very flippant to me James. I can see where she might have got that impression."_

"_So what should I do about it?"_

_Lupin gave him a half-smile. Yes, it probably would have been a bad idea to ask for advice from Sirius who would almost certainly have thought James's attempt to more than decent and told him to forget the girl and have sex in a broom closet with someone else to make her realise what she was missing._

"_May I suggest you inject some seriousness into it? No girl is going to accept a proposal from a man she has been dating six months if she thinks he is joking because she'll think he will laugh at her and dump her immediately for being possessive and clingy. She obviously values you enough to refuse you James."_

_James made a face. "See? I knew it was _you_ I had to ask."_

_Lupin smiled. "This time. You're going to go down on one knee. You're going to have a ring. You're going to ask her and look her in the eyes."_

_James nodded his agreement. "Yeah, I thought of that. What I really need you do is just sit there and pretend to be Lily."_

_Lupin reluctantly agreed and watched as James dropped to his knee and tried very hard to look him in the eyes without laughing._

"_Right. Lily, the thing is…"_

_The door opened and James didn't appear to notice, so absorbed was he in his speech of undying love and devotion._

"_I love you and for years I've known that I intended to marry you."_

_CLICK!_

"_Sorry. I didn't know I was interrupting something." laughed Sirius, backing away from Lupin's camera as he caught the murderous look in his eyes. "Just a little hint though James, I'm not entirely sure it's legal to do that."_

_James cringed and slowly stood, turning to face his other best friend. "Alright, well I might as well tell you now…"_


	27. In which Lupin expresses annoyance

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

"Well…that was…" Harry struggled to find the word. It was quarter to two, he couldn't hold any amount of alcohol and his mind was suffering significantly. His memory had decided to take a holiday, his common sense was AWOL and his vocabulary had shrunk to three times its normal size. "Odd." he opted for.

Sirius who had been quietly making his way through the remainder of the pack (twelve bottles of Ted Tonks's alcohol of choice in fifteen minutes could never be considered a wise move) while Lupin had tried to explain to Harry why he had pictures of James Potter in such a compromising position, had sneaked Harry far more alcohol than the responsible Lupin would ordinarily have allowed.

However, the more they drank, the less subtle their attempts.

"Harry, exactly how much have you had?"

"Not enough." answered Sirius, handing his godson another bottle and photograph. The former, Lupin promptly confiscated.

Harry came to the conclusion that he and Sirius would get along famously for the rest of eternity. It could have been the five bottles of six per cent alcohol talking but, although Christmas with his parents was what he had wanted since he was a small child, spending it with his substitutes was a pretty good alternative.

The photograph he now held depicted his mother and Lupin, arm in arm on the third floor corridor. It was strange to see it now without his first thoughts being of Fluffy. He smiled wistfully in response. His mother laughed like he did.

"Everyone thought we were seeing each other after that picture." Lupin explained, laughing to himself. "Even James. I was excluded from all Marauder activities that did not require the use of my brain cells until James-"

"Believed you." finished Sirius, slurring slightly. "He kept wandering around like a lost soul with Spattergroit, muttering 'My best friend….my best friend…'. It was hilarious!"

Lupin smirked. "I think you and I need to have a long talk about our ideas of hilarious."

Harry laughed. "So why did he forgive you?"

"Remus started dating, didn't you Moony?"

Lupin shot Sirius a look to rival those Snape aimed at Harry. "Let's not talk about that."

_1976_

_He found her where he had always suspected he would; in the library. It was about to locked and Madam Pince had only allowed him in because he was Remus Lupin and privately, she was rather fond of him. He was always quiet, he brought books back on time and he always smiled. These were not sufficient reasons to allow him in just after hours but they would suffice. _

"_Lily?"_

_Her head was bowed over the pile of books she was sitting before that could not have been hers. He flicked through a book on dark spells that he felt no-one ought ever to have read._

"_I take it you're not thinking of actually using these." he joked, not really sure how to break the ice._

_When Lily Evans lifted her head, it was obvious she had been crying. Her emerald eyes clashed spectacularly with her crimson eyelids. Lupin wasn't sure how it was possible for a person to look stunningly beautiful with puffy eyes and tear stains but if anyone could pull it off, it would be Lily._

_He crouched beside her for lack of a chair, and rested his arm on hers. He tilted his head slightly to catch her eye but every time he succeeded, she would turn away. _

"_Lily, will you look at me?"_

_She shook her head and sniffed, staring out of the window._

"_Why not?" he asked, tentatively, not wanting to provoke her infamous temper._

"_I can't." she mumbled, hoping he would not hear her. Alas, Lupin's hearing, like his sight, was too keen for his own good._

"_Why?" he asked her, dropping his voice to match her volume. _

_She shook her head, refusing to say another word as she was bound to regret sharing this with anyone, let alone Remus Lupin, who, unknown to him, she was only just getting over._

"_Is this about Snape?"_

_Finally she nodded. He raised his eyebrows, astounded. This was the girl who had known about his lycanthropy since their second year after figuring it out herself and not betraying it to anyone for three years, not even admitting it to him until he told her himself when she replied with a simple 'I know', as though it were the most natural thing in the world. She had never treated him differently. She always had the utmost respect for him. Quite honestly, he could kill Severus Snape; really kill him. He supposed this is what was meant by making someone's blood boil._

"_Lily, he's an absolute arse. I cannot for the life of me, fathom why someone as innately good as you wanted to even speak to him. Really Lil, he's not worth your tears."_

"_He was my best friend."_

"_Some friend." he snapped, having rarely been angrier in his life. "What kind of friend says that about you? What kind of friend treats you like that in front of half the student body?"_

_Lily buried her face in her hands and whimpered, the tears now falling freely. "I want to be angry. Why can't I be angry?"_

"_I think I'm angry enough for the two of us." said Lupin, laughing bitterly._

"_His friends hate me." she mumbled, talking to herself rather than Lupin, who would normally have tactfully ignored her remark._

_Lupin smirked. "Call me biased," he laughed, this time genuinely. "But _Mulciber_! Mulciber and Avery hate you? Now, personally, I'd take that as a hearty seal of approval from the rest of the world."_

_Lily laughed through her tears and smiled down at him. "How is it that you can always make everything okay again?"_

_Lupin beamed. "Usually, my preference is hallucinogenic drugs. This time however, I've opted for charm and a smile." As Lily wiped away her tears and laughed hysterically, Lupin pulled her to her feet. "Come on, we'd better get going. This'll be closing soon."_

_Casting a simple spell that deflated her eyes and returned the lids to their normal colour, Lily allowed herself to be led down to the Great Hall._

"_I've heard Potter telling everyone that you can do non-verbal already." she told him, smiling and fishing for information. It wouldn't do to let Remus get too far an advantage over her in their constant battle for the position of top of the class._

_Lupin raised his eyebrows. "Sort of. I can transfigure Guinea Pigs to Guinea Fowl in my head and that's about it. Why's James telling everyone that anyway?"_

"_I might have called him stupid."_

_Lupin laughed. "I still don't see what that has to do with me."_

"_I might have called his friends stupid too."_

_Lupin cleared his throat meaningfully. "One hundred and fifteen per cent in the last Charms test. What was your mark again?"_

_Lily rolled her eyes and nudged him playfully. "One hundred and nine. I didn't mean _you_. I don't usually count you as Potter's friend. I count you as _mine_."_

_Lupin grinned, his smile slowly forming a grimace as a mop of greasy black hair bobbed in their direction. Lily seized up beside him and pushed her hair in her face._

"_Don't you dare hide." he whispered._

_She tossed her hair back and held her head up. "Better?"_

"_Much."_

"_Lily, I-"_

"_Frankly Severus, I don't want to hear it."_

_Lupin tried not to smile. Thank Merlin, James wasn't here. He would probably break his arms. In fact, there's an idea…_

"_But-"_

"_You heard her." Lupin snapped, his hand on Lily's back, pushing her through the doors._

_Once Snape's greasy head had bobbed pathetically down the corridor, Lupin smiled and made his excuses._

"_I only wanted to make sure he didn't assault you." he joked. "I have a lot of work to do. Maybe I'll come down later."_

_It didn't matter if he missed dinner. He could visit the house-elves later and they'd sort something for him. He was sure James would let him borrow the cloak if he knew what his friend was about to do._

"_I want a word with you." he yelled, once he was safely out of earshot. _

_Snape turned and sneered at him. "A word with me? I'm not sure I know many dogs who can understand the Queen's English."_

_Lupin smirked, biting wit came all too easily. "Well you're in luck. I speak Idiot fluently."_

_And without really knowing whether he was doing it because Snape had called his friend a Mudblood or because he had made a reference to his 'furry little problem', Lupin punched him with a strength he had never known he possessed and winced at the crack of Snape's nose._

"_Sorry." he muttered, wondering whether he was just saying it as a formality. "Anyway, I have a lot of things to do so…er…"_

_He wasn't sure what to do to be honest. He had never punched anyone before in his life. It would have been easier to hit him with a Bodybind curse and hide him in a cupboard. Yes, that would have been the better option._

"_Right. Well…er…goodnight."_

_______________________________________________________________________

_The third floor corridor was empty. Lily had found Lupin and together they had headed to Charms, taking a detour as a result of a moving staircase. A detour that had led Lily right into Severus Snape._

_His nose was disjointed and Lupin frowned, averting his eyes and finding an interesting pattern in the marble floor._

"_What happened to you?" Lily asked before she could stop herself._

_Snape mumbled something about walking into a door and Lupin bit his lip._

_As soon as Lily had stormed off, remembering she was holding a grudge, she pulled Lupin to the side of the corridor._

"_Did you do that?"_

_Lupin wasn't sure how to answer that. "Hypothetically, I suppose it's possible."_

_Lily bit back her grin. "Hypothetically, thank you."_

_Lupin laughed and returned her smile. "If I had been James, you would have thrown me over the banister."_

"_But you're not James." she replied. "I knew I made the right choice."_

_Lupin frowned. "In what?"_

"_My best friend." she answered simply, hoping Remus wouldn't object._

_Lupin beamed his response and flung his bag into her arms to her consternation and alarm._

"_This calls for a picture."_

"_But we don't have-"_

"_I'm a photographer." he told her. "I _always _have a camera."_

"_I was going to say time."_

_He eventually found what he had been searching for and held the camera at arms length, trying to get both of them in the picture. He held his arm out and gestured for her to come closer._

"_It's okay," he joked. "I don't bite…at least not for another twenty-three nights."_

_Lily laughed, throwing her head back. Lupin watched her, his eyes twinkling with mirth._

_CLICK!_

"_James is so going to kill me."_


	28. In which Peter is wrongly accused

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A/N: Sorry this took so long but I've had writer's block when it comes to Peter just because after 'Voldy and Crew…' I've hated him. I've also been away but it's here now…**

The next picture had been taken in their dormitory. The Marauders had crammed themselves onto one bed, obscenely tidy with a book beside the pillow and a chocolate wrapper barely concealed by it, which Harry assumed from the offered clues, belonged to Lupin.

The fact that they had managed to sit on said bed when all of them with the exception of 'little Peter', were around six feet tall, was deserving of some sort of medal. Lupin alone deserved one for his bravery in allowing them anywhere near his possessions.

"That was New Year's Eve.". Lupin informed Harry. "Well, New Year's Day if you want to be really precise."

"Which you _always_ want." Sirius interrupted, slurring slightly to his own consternation.

Lupin continued as though nothing had happened. "It had just turned midnight."

_1977_

"_Well, that's the end of seventy-six." Sirius informed them._

"_Funnily enough, we worked that out for ourselves Pads." laughed James, leaning back onto one of Lupin's pillows. "So, seventy-seven is the year…"_

_Lupin bit his lip and hoped his friend's body heat would not melt the concealed bar of chocolate he had received for Christmas from Lily (the fact that she had handed him a neatly wrapped parcel on the eve of her departure for the holidays, had shocked James to the point where he couldn't actually speak for ten minutes) and had thus far, managed to keep to himself._

"_That Sirius Black gets disowned." laughed Sirius, resting his weight on the wall beside the bed._

"_That Remus is cured." said Peter, smiling a little too optimistically._

_Lupin shrugged. "That Dumbledore is made Minister for Magic."_

"_That I bed Evans!" cried James, triumphantly, as though he had already succeeded._

"_James, please." Lupin chided, rolling his eyes but smiling nonetheless._

"_That really is disgusting." laughed Peter, insincerely._

"_Couldn't agree more." agreed Lupin, his semi-stern tone (which would have been a lot sterner without half a bottle of Firewhiskey) indicating that this conversation had ended. "Perhaps your New Year's resolution should be to start treating her and in fact _all_ members of the opposite sex with a decent amount of respect. Maybe it's just me, but if you try that, you might get a little further."_

"_He might get a little full stop." joked Sirius._

"_As opposed to what? Getting a _lot_?" said Peter, nudging Sirius._

"_He's right Sirius." agreed James. "You're a tart."_

_Sirius smirked. "You're just jealous. _All_ of you. Especially you, Remus."_

"Me_? Jealous? Okay."_

"_Remus, you thought Ann Summers was a stationary shop."_

"_No I didn't!" argued Lupin, a little too quickly and a tone higher in pitch than was usual._

"_Remus, if it wasn't for speed bumps and frisking, you would have no sex life at all. Not even one with _yourself_."_

_Lupin took a deep breath and eventually replied, "I have as active a sex life as I can cope with."_

"_What, none at all?" asked James, wondering whether Sirius was exaggerating._

"_Except Evans." added Sirius, watching the stony expressions descend upon his friends' faces and laughing with Peter._

"_Not none at all. I mean we all have…urges. I just don't grab the first girl I see and shag her senseless in a broom closet somewhere and then avoid her until she moves on."_

"_That was low Remus."_

"_Not as low as your morals." but Lupin raised his eyebrows and smiled, the sure hint that he was joking._

"_You know me so well."_

_They all laughed and eventually James asked the question that really should _never _be asked to a group of semi-drunken people in any situation on New Year's Eve._

"_So, what's your New Year's resolutions?"_

_Lupin smirked. "Get a sex life?"_

_Sirius laughed. "So you _are_ jealous!"_

"_What about you Pete?"_

_Peter sighed. "I think I'm going to get a date this year. I will make it my year to get a girlfriend."_

_Sirius tried to contain his laughter. "Peter, you've stolen the one James was going to use."_

_Both and James and Peter failed to be impressed by this remark._

"_Actually Sirius, I am going to take our dear friend Moony's advice and try and charm Evans into falling in love with me."_

_Lupin laughed so hard he almost fell off his bed. James coughed meaningfully and Lupin was moderately silenced to the occasional snigger._

"_Yeah, I vow to be more charming. So what about you Padfoot?"_

_Sirius narrowed his brow in thought. "Hmm, I don't know. I think I'll just try to be more laid back."_

"_More laid back?" said Lupin, his eyebrows raised so high that they had disappeared into his fringe. "What is that? _Dead_?"_

_Sirius's response was to push his friend off the bed where Lupin, who could never hold his alcohol, lay sprawled on the floor, laughing to himself until James pulled him up, dislodging his pillow and revealing a half eaten bar of Honeydukes finest._

"_You didn't tell us you had chocolate."_

_Had Lupin not been exposed to large amounts of alcohol that they would never have managed to get hold of without the aids of James's invisibility cloak and Lupin's own research into the odd looking statue outside the Defence room, he would have thought up something less incriminating and clever to say than biting his lip and telling them that they were welcome to help themselves._

"_Gee, thanks Moony."_

_And within five minutes, all that was left was the bright purple wrapper that found itself trapped in the wool of Lupin's jumper after Sirius had flicked it at him._

"_You know what we need?" asked James, knowing they were all too drunk and tired to object. "A picture. Moony, where's your camera?"_

_Lupin groaned and slurred his response. "I dunno. Probly with Peter."_

"_For once, no." replied Peter._

"_You've always got it. I bet you've nicked it." laughed Sirius._

"_I haven't!"_

"_You have! I can see it on your face. I can read you like a book Peter. I know when you're lying, always have, always will."_

"_For the last time Sirius, I haven't!"_

"_Accio camera." cried Lupin, over the mock argument that was fast becoming a heated debate. And Lupin, watching it fly out of his own trunk, forgot to catch it and was struck by it._

_CLICK!_

_Sirius laughed. "That had to have hurt, right Moony?"_

_No response._

"_Moony?"_

_The motionless body of Remus Lupin lay draped across the bed._

"_Merlin! He's dead!"_

"_No he's not."_

"_Don't start Peter!"_

"_Sirius, dead men don't snore."_


	29. In which Peter gets the girl

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

The next photograph depicted a blushing Peter Pettigrew. He stood beside a young woman who was a good head shorter than him, no mean feat when Peter stood at a mere five feet and six inches. She wasn't what many might call classically pretty but she was attractive…far too attractive to be seen with Peter surely.

And yet, he appeared to be trying to take her hand. Poor Anna.

"What the hell?" asked Harry, watching the small, rat-faced traitor fluster and blush ever more furiously.

"Well remember that dance James told us all we were going to?" asked Sirius, beaming in a manner that only a truly intoxicated person can quite manage.

"Only too clearly." mutter Lupin, bitterly.

"She was his last resort. He tried asking some nutcases in the year below but not even _they _would go with him."

Lupin rolled his eyes but refused to comment.

_1975_

_Peter bit his lip. Everyone else now had a date. Sirius had taken his pick from what was almost a queue. Kitty Verona had accepted James without even a moment's hesitation. Lily had agreed to go with Remus, so long as he refused to let James make any attempt to dance with her. So they all had someone. All except him. He and a few girls who were either undesirable, (Anna Lovett), idiotic (Scarlett Maguire) or perverted (Aggie Chambers). And Alice…wonderful Alice. The girl he had met in Charms who he did not even know the surname of, but Lily had called her Alice._

"_Face it Peter, she's out of your league." Sirius told him, watching Peter squirm at the thought of being the only person left._

"_Yeah." said James, catching on and smirking. "Your best bet is to pick someone no-one with any sense wants to take out. Why don't you ask the fat one?"_

_Lupin's hold on his book tightened but he did not respond to these antagonistic remarks. They would be bored soon if he did not react._

_Sirius agreed. "You know, the plain one. Bit odd looking."_

_They heard Lupin hiss out a breath and grinned at one another, trying to contain their laughter. His entire body was now tense as he gripped the book, trying his best not to rise to their bait._

"_I think it's your best bet Peter." said Sirius, glancing over at Lupin. "What do you think Moony?"_

_Lupin mumbled a non-committal response._

"_Alright, she probably doesn't have a date either, does she?"_

_That was when Lupin finally snapped. "Why ever would you think that?"_

"_Because she's-"_

"_What, Peter? She's what?!"_

_Peter bit his lip. Sirius and James averted their eyes and Lupin returned to his book, cursing himself for opening his mouth. He didn't want to hear Peter's answer._

"_Hey!"_

_Anna Lovett looked up from her Transfiguration homework and glared at Sirius. It was bad enough that he had sat so close to her let alone blatantly insulted her in front of all his friends. Her blood boiled. Oh how she hated him._

"_What Black?"_

_Sirius's grin contorted into an expression of pain. He clutched his heart and blinked back false tears. _

"_Anna, that hurts."_

"_Shut up." _

_Lupin laughed quietly to himself behind the safety of his book. This would at least be entertaining. He didn't want her going with Peter though and if that was the outcome, he would rather not bare witness._

"_Anyway," he eventually said, closing his book. "Um…I'm off to bed because you know, it's getting late."_

"_Remus, it's half past six." said Anna, staring at him, faintly amused._

_Lupin froze. He was now faced with one of two choices. He could sit down, tell them he thought it was later and appear to be normal or he could bluff it out and mope in the dormitory. Slowly he opened his mouth and closed it again._

"_Is it?" he asked, shifting his weight onto his right leg and placing his hand just below his hairline; tell tale signs of his discomfort. "Gosh, it's later than I thought."_

_Anna raised her eyebrows and smiled, understanding now. Lupin watched her nod her head just once, to show him that she knew and he felt quite sick. What if she really knew? What if she knew he needed his rest for the next three days? What if she knew she was the focus of his daydreaming? What if she knew he was having absurd dreams that felt so absolutely real, staring her and a large bar of chocolate? Resisting the urge to have a panic attack, Lupin headed towards the stairs._

"_Bring your camera back down with you." said James, grinning. _

_As soon as Lupin had left, James and Sirius got to their feet and made hurried excuses, winking at Peter as they followed their friend upstairs._

_That left Peter and Anna. The latter returned to her homework and Peter bit his nails, anxiously hoping for some divine intervention. He would have to ask her now if he was going to ask her at all. James and Sirius had made themselves scarce, he presumed, so that it would look like less of a joke._

"_Anna?"_

_Anna mumbled a response intended to encourage Peter but did not look up from her parchment. Her head bobbed as she wrote and a tiny flicker of tongue licked her lips as she concentrated hard. Her brow furrowed and her chocolate brown eyes glinted. For that moment, Peter could see what Lupin saw._

"_Um…I was wondering if you were going on Friday?"_

"_Going?" she asked, dotting her 'i' elaborately and rolling up her parchment. "Going where?"_

"_To Hogsmeade."_

"_On a Friday?"_

_Peter coughed nervously. "Valentine's Day."_

"_Oh." Anna laughed heartily, throwing her head back and almost cackling. "Me? Valentine? Yeah, okay that's believable."_

_Peter looked up and saw the other three returning, Sirius and James looking incredibly guilty and Lupin, equally disgruntled. He would have to do it now if he was ever going to do it._

"_Anna, I was wondering…"_

_Peter leaned in closer and gestured for her to stand. For once, he was taller than the girl in question, only because she was so short at only five feet tall but he was going to make the most of it. He took a deep breath and reached for her hand._

_CLICK!_

_She hurriedly withdrew it. _

"_What the hell?"_

"_I was wondering if you wanted to go to the dance with me."_

_Lupin seethed quietly. If she went with Peter, she would be tarnished for life because she would break Peter's heart. _Every_ girl ended up breaking Peter's heart. As Peter's friend, he couldn't possibly be seen out with her. Not that he would ever be seen out with her anyway. She really was perfect and he refused to ruin her. So really, what did he expect? Eventually she would have boyfriends and presumably she would eventually marry and have children and set up a life for herself, but hopefully miles away from him._

"_Peter, I'm sorry."_

_Lupin visibly relaxed._

"_I'm already going with someone."_

_And the world came crashing around his ears._

"_Going with someone?"_

"_Peter, I have a boyfriend."_

_By this time, both Lupin and Peter wished that the earth would swallow them up. In Lupin's case, never to spit him out. This was going to be so embarrassing. Sirius wouldn't let the matter drop. James would declare them both 'in the same boat' and Peter would mope when _he_ ought to be moping._

"_Okay, well this is really awkward. I'm so sorry Pete. Oh Remus, you're back. Super. Would you mind helping me with my Charms? I just can't seem to grasp it."_

_Lupin nodded, mutely. Anna beamed her thanks and his heart snapped clean in two._

"_But you said you didn't have a Valentine. You said, 'that's believable' really sarcastically."_

_Anna bit her lip. "Peter, I just meant that I didn't go in for all that sappy stuff. I'd forgotten the date and I just think Colin will want to take me." _

"_Colin?" asked Sirius, mentally listing the possible candidates so that he could mortally wound them for Remus. "Colin McCormack?"_

"_Yeah. Why?"_

"_Nothing. I just wondered."_

_Perfect. He could knock him off his broom at the next Quidditch match. Sure, it would mean they didn't have a Keeper but they were playing Hufflepuff; they didn't _need_ one._

_She turned back to Peter, grabbing her wand and Lupin's arm. "Tell you what Peter, I know a really nice girl and she doesn't have anyone to go with. I'll ask her for you."_

_Peter attempted to smile. "If it's Aggie Chambers, don't."_

"_Why?" snapped Anna, defensive of her friend. "Because she's a little different?"_

"_Because she's already said no."_

"_Oh. Well it's not, it's Alice. You know, hangs around with Lily?" Peter fell back onto the sofa, a dreamy smile gracing his rat-like features, and the silence was so awkward that she felt compelled to fill it. "Okay, Remus. I know a really old classroom just round the corner, we can use that. Are you _sure _you don't mind? You don't look very happy."_


	30. In which Sirius gets a spot

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

Lupin laughed, throwing his head back, and handed Harry a photograph depicting a young Sirius, clutching his chin, sheer panic in his eyes.

Harry, still intoxicated, laughed along with his ex-professor, not sure why he was laughing or even what he was laughing at.

Sirius leant over and tried to grasp the corner of the photograph, failing miserably and landing in a heap on the carpet. He cleared his throat and managed to scramble to his knees before climbing back onto the seat, much to Lupin's amusement and Harry's horror.

"You don't want to see that."

Lupin grinned. "No. He _needs_ to Pads. It's hilarious."

"For _you_ maybe."

Lupin shrugged. "That's how I've felt about the last six hours."

Sirius frowned. "Alright then. It was a Wednesday…tell a lie, it was a Monday. No, definitely a Wednesday. I put on my tie, my best tie, the one without the apple crumble stain on it-"

"Sirius, it was a Saturday and you were in your pyjamas. If you're not going to tell it properly-"

"Alright, alright…"

_1971_

_November was a beautiful month. It was shockingly cold but it was beautiful. The trees were barren and black. The lake was icy and the chill in the air made even Remus Lupin wrap up, which said it all._

_So some people might say that these were the very things about November that made it so dreary but to Sirius Black, therein lay the attraction. It was a little quirk. He had always hated conforming._

_The fact that the eighteenth of November nineteen-seventy-one was his twelfth birthday, was obviously coincidental._

_The moment that Sirius Black realised that it was actually the eighteenth of November, it was actually a day off and that it was actually the first birthday that would not be spent being hissed at by his deranged cousin, dragged out of bed by his mother, given a selection of dark artefacts as presents and then expected to have photographs taken with his oddball brother; he threw back his bed covers and leapt onto the boy crossing the room._

_His reasoning was that it was half past eight on a Saturday morning and there was no way he would wake James but Remus would be awake and probably also dressed and just returned from breakfast._

"_Oh…sorry. I…um…I thought you were someone else."_

_He had wrapped his arms around the neck of a small, podgy boy who was staring at him as though he had grown an extra head._

"_That's quite alright."_

_And Sirius's intended target strolled through the bathroom door, still ruffling his hair. He raised his eyebrows at the sight of Sirius who was still apologising profusely, with his arms around Peter Pettigrew, but said nothing._

"_Fruit-Loops! Just who I was looking for!"_

"_Oh, don't mind me."_

_Sirius rolled his eyes but leapt in Lupin's path and met his eyes, grinning. "So…do I look any different?"_

_Lupin frowned slightly, searching for hints. Haircut? Definitely not. Taller? He hoped not. Fatter? How was he supposed to answer that? Fitter? That was fairly complimentary, he supposed he had better go with that one…_

_And then he realised._

"_Oh." he said, smiling. "You have a spot."_

"_WHAT?!"_

"_Just there." answered Lupin, pointing to his chin. "May I suggest Aloe Vera? It really cleared mine up last month."_

_And with that, Lupin returned to bed, pulling the curtains round him. Curtains that Sirius was about to rip open._

_He stared down at the boy who was supposed to be one of his best friends, glaring through silver slits._

"_Remus, you don't say that to people."_

_Lupin propped himself up on his pillows and replied, "Sorry, I don't have a lot of social skills."_

"_You're joking Remus, right?"_

_Lupin coughed awkwardly. "Maybe you should look in the mirror."_

_Sirius shook his head, disbelievingly. He was a heart-throb. Heart-throbs did _not_ have spots. His breathing quickened and he rested a hand on his chin. He could feel a slight contour in his skin that was painful to the touch. He whimpered._

_Lupin listened to the door slam and waited for the scream of horror. It was late coming but boy, did it make up for it in volume. James cried out and jumped out of bed, wand at the ready._

"_What is it?" he groaned, in desperate need of sleep._

"_Chill out. It's Princess Black. He's got a spot."_

_Peter tittered and climbed back into bed, closely followed by a disgruntled James, just as Sirius re-entered, covering the blemish with his hand and grinning inanely. The effect of casual coolness was spoiled somewhat by the panic in his eyes and the pitch of his voice as he told them that he was fine and would be spending the weekend in bed simply because he was tired and needed to catch up on some sleep._

"_Sirius, you can't." protested Lupin. "It's your birthday."_

_Sirius harrumphed. "Fine present."_

"_Speaking of which," coaxed Lupin in a tone that would not be wasted on a five year old. "I have yours."_

_There was a pause in which Lupin began to think that his friend had indeed fallen asleep._

"_You have?"_

_Lupin grinned. "Yep. I asked my Dad to buy it last week when he was in town. Come on, you might as well see what it is."_

_Another pause._

"_Could you not just thread it through the curtains?"_

_By which time, James had joined Lupin beside the bed, cradling several neatly packages that suggested Lupin had done them for him. Only Peter, who was too afraid of Sirius to encourage him out, remained behind his own curtains._

"_No. Sirius, what do you think we're going to do?"_

_Silence._

"_Sirius?" asked James, prodding the red velvet curtains._

"_Laugh. Or Remus will get that bloody camera out."_

_James grinned and gestured for Lupin to do so. He turned to the curtains as though he was addressing them and listened intently as Lupin quietly rummaged through his belongings._

"_What's that?" snapped Sirius, the sound of Lupin dropping a selection of books reaching his ears._

"_That's Remus." explained James. "He just dropped your present."_

"_Yeah." lied Lupin, glad Sirius was unable to watch him bite his lip and blink vigorously as a result._

"_Come on Sirius," pleaded James. "It can't be all that bad. I bet I can't even see it."_

"_Don't put money on it."_

_James's brow furrowed. "Who puts money on spots? I think you mean Witch-hazel."_

_Lupin sighed and from behind his curtain, Sirius made noises expressing great confusion._

"_Just come out." said Lupin, positioning the camera._

_Sirius flung back the curtains and clutched his chin._

_CLICK!_

"_You absolute arse, Remus Lupin!"_

_James tried to refrain from laughing but his shoulders shook with mirth as he watched Sirius attempt to right hook the other boy, without the use of his right hand. He merely flung his chin in Lupin's general direction._

"_Happy Birthday." mumbled Lupin, handing over a wrapped package and a tube of Aloe Vera._

_Sirius, catching sight of the second proffered item, nodded once. "You are forgiven."_

_Lupin raised an eyebrow. "Oh I am, am I?"_

_Upon unwrapping the paper to discover a broom polishing kit and a copy of _Quidditch Through the Ages_, Sirius wrapped his free arm around his friend whilst balancing a book and a box of brushes._

"_Remus, how do you know these things?"_

"_I got your hints." said Lupin, opening the drawer of his bedside cabinet to reveal several bits of parchment with the words _Quidditch Through the Ages_ and eventually just the shortened, QTTA._

_Sirius shrugged, denying all knowledge of their existence and eventually added, "Well my mother wasn't about to buy them."_

"_So you thought you'd scrounge off mine?" laughed Lupin. "Nah, seriously I don't think my parents believed that either of you existed so it was evidence at least."_

"_Unless it was an elaborate ruse so you could obtain a kit." joked James. _

"_I don't have a broom, so it's hardly going to be for me. Although, I could always ask for one for my birthday and mention that it only makes sense since I have a polishing kit. They'll probably pity me enough to get me one."_

_James laughed. "Let's have a decent photo. Pass me the camera Loop. Sirius, will you _please_ get your hand off your chin?"_

_CLICK!_

"_Boys, it feels like it's getting bigger."_

_Lupin smirked and caught James's eye._

"_I think it's actually starting to look like a boil, wouldn't you agree James?"_

"_WHAT? Give me the Aloe Vera!"_

_Only when Sirius had locked himself in the bathroom, did James and Lupin allow themselves to laugh._


	31. In which James pays

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

Sirius's next pictorial proffering was taken in the dormitory. James and Lupin sat together, James's arm draped casually across his friend's shoulder. Lupin however, struggled to keep a straight face. He appeared to be unsure whether to laugh with James or remain unimpressed and stern.

"He'd just given me a nickname." explained Lupin, smiling fondly. "And I hated him for it."

"It didn't help that you had paranoia either." laughed Sirius.

Lupin raised his eyebrows. "Paranoia?" He looked to Harry and told him, "I did not have paranoia. I wasn't jumpy. I was just paranoid that everyone in school would find out and James…well, your father didn't exactly help."

"But," said Sirius with the air of someone recounting all those times they had been right, "It was like I said at the time."

"Indeed."

_1973_

"_So you want me to do it for you. Am I correct?"_

"_Yes."_

"_No!" said Lupin firmly, pushing James's homework back in his direction._

"_I'll pay you Remus."_

"_I don't need money._ You _need an education. I'll_ help_ you with it." he bargained._

_James groaned. "I just don't-"_

"_Want to do it."_

"_Understand." James corrected. "Come on Moony, you know you want to."_

_Lupin's head shot up. His black eyes burned hot enough to melt steel. "What did you just call me?"_

"_Moo-"_

"_Don't say it _again_!"_

_From his armchair, Sirius sniggered._

_Lupin returned to his homework, his hair (which he had been growing in a bid to make himself look more interesting) covering his face, red with embarrassment and anger that was directed more at himself than at James._

_James turned to face Sirius, almost begging for help. He wasn't entirely sure how to approach Lupin after said outburst. He had never before seen his eyes so black in colour or so steely in expression._

"_Remus?"_

"_It's cold."_

"_I know. Listen I-"_

"_I'm going to bed."_

_Lupin snatched up his parchment and hurriedly exited into the boys dormitory. Slowly, James turned to face Sirius. His eyes were wide and filled with dread._

"_Shit." he muttered._

_Sirius shrugged. "Well, it's taught you an important lesson."_

"_Cut the crap Sirius."_

_Sirius chose to ignore his remark. "When you give a guy a nickname by which you refer to him when he is not around, don't call him by it to his face."_

"_It wasn't supposed to be offensive." protested James. "It was a joke."_

_Sirius smiled. "It _is_ pretty funny in an ironic sort of way. Although, not as funny as the look on your face." Catching sight of James's expression, he hurriedly changed the subject. "James, he's your best mate. You might want to go and apologise."_

_James sighed and reluctantly followed Lupin. He turned on the stairs to look back at Sirius and gesture that, despite appearances, he was not in the least bit worried. He was shocked to find that the storm-cloud eyes he had been trying to meet, were in fact only centimetres away from his._

"_What are you doing?"_

_Sirius grinned. "He's _my _best mate too. And I might want to come and watch."_

_Upon entering the dormitory, they found Peter's forgotten score sheets for choir practise and looming in the far corner, a large, four poster bed with curtains drawn around it._

_Sirius coughed and pulled the curtains apart. He re-drew them once them he had settled himself against the wall, opposite Lupin who was sitting in bed, finishing his Charms homework._

_James spent five minutes waiting by the side of the bed and, hearing laughter and pressing his ear to the fabric to catch snippets of conversation, decided that it was almost perverted and he no longer wanted any part in this. When Remus was ready to talk to him, then he was ready to talk to him. _

_He stalked off to his own bed and drew the curtains round it. Two could play at that game._

_The curtains opened and in a flash of auburn hair and blue pyjamas, Remus Lupin sat on the opposite side of his bed, his eyes, now returned to their usual deep brown colour, were wide. He was obviously unsure how his shock entrance had been received._

"_Wotcher." he croaked. "Listen James, I'm just…"_

_CLICK!_

"_Paranoid." Sirius supplied, throwing himself onto James's bed and tangling his legs in those of his friends, as he did so. Despite this, he didn't bother to move. "Trust me Moons, sometimes when the answer is right in front of a person's face, it makes it even harder to guess."_

_Lupin grinned. "Yeah. And actually, Moony is loads better than 'Loony Loopy Lupin' anyway."_

"_Yeah," agreed James. "I really shouldn't have taught that to Peeves. Sorry about that."_

"_You'll pay Potter." laughed Lupin, hitting James with one of his own pillows._

_James reacted, catching Sirius across the head to the surprise of both. Lupin's laughter echoed around the room, attracting the attention of Peter who had just returned from choir rehearsals._

_He pulled back the curtain to find his three friends, entangled in one another, hair ruffled and giggling like schoolgirls. He raised his eyebrows and hurriedly retreated._

"_That's probably the oddest ménage à trois he's ever seen." laughed James, watching Lupin, who was unused to the lack of wall against his bed, roll off, clutching his sides._

"_That's truly disgusting." said Lupin, still unable to stand and laughing like an excited lunatic._

_Sirius raised an eyebrow and draped a hand across James's waist._

"_Sirius, what the hell are you doing?"_

"_I'm waiting for Peter to come back. This is going to be classic."_


	32. In which Lupin gets a fan club

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A/N: Sadly, me and my friends really do this and yep (except obviously Anna) all the OC girls here **_**are**_** us - only we don't fantasise about Lupin…at least **_**some**_** of us don't.  
****This didn't turn out quite the way I wanted it to and I probably shouldn't publish it but here goes…**

Sirius laughed to himself, handing Harry a photograph that he was loathe to allow Lupin to see, highly suspicious in itself but coupled with copious amounts of alcohol only Tonks (who could drink them all under the table) could handle, it didn't bear thinking about.

Lupin could think of several scenarios that could have produced such manic laughter, none of them pleasant, and he was unashamed to say that every prospect terrified him.

"What is it?" he eventually asked, unsure if he really wanted to know. He leaned over Harry's shoulder and was surprised to find that he must have broken the sound barrier.

Sirius continued to laugh.

Lupin wanted to tell Harry that it was a one off occasion but remembered what an appalling liar he had always been. He opted for trying to explain before Sirius but found that he had lost the use of his voice.

"Moony had a bit of a fan-club going on." cackled Sirius. "And I ended up taking all of them out at one point."

Lupin needn't have worried because Harry could barely understand his godfather through his slurred speech and constant laughter.

_1974_

"_I swear," said Sirius. "They hate me. If my mother carries on like this, Christmas will be unbearable. If I don't wake up with an erection, I'll have nothing to play with."_

_Sirius smiled at his own joke. Peter blushed but sniggered with the others as James wrapped an arm around Sirius's neck and used this to keep himself upright. Lupin laughed in shock but his expression was one of deep-rooted concern._

"_Shh." whispered James. "Listen."_

_They all positioned themselves so that they might see better. The four girls stood together in the corridor, meeting up during break as only Anna Lovett and Scarlett Maguire were in Gryffindor. _

"_Electra Nott, what do we reckon?" asked Sirius, his eyes travelling up and down her body. She shifted a little, conscious of being watched. _

"_She's a Slytherin." said Peter._

"_So?"_

"_So she hates you."_

"_Only because we're so alike." said Sirius. "She'd love it. It would be like sleeping with the enemy. I'd give her one."_

_Lupin stared at him, incredulous. "I can't believe you just said that."_

"_Shut up." hissed James. "Who are they talking about?"_

"_Merlin, look at him."_

"_I know."_

_Anna remained silent. If her friends found out that her scorn and biting sarcasm whenever they mentioned the Marauders was due to her embarrassingly ever-growing crush on Remus Lupin, she would never live it down._

"_God, he's just so beautiful."_

"_Well it's obviously me." said Sirius._

_She pursed her lips. "You make Black sound like a transvestite. In fact…"_

_James and Lupin doubled up with laughter but the latter was soon silenced._

"_Shut up." hissed Aggie, clicking her tongue. "We're on about Remus."_

"_WHO?!" Anna shrieked, drawing the attention of the four boys as they stood in a huddle around the gaggle of girls. "No way!"_

"_Seriously?" whispered Sirius. "Even Electra?"_

_Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Really? I think there was someone in the _dungeons_ who didn't hear that."_

_Anna blushed and exhaled deeply as she looked up and made eye contact with the very object of their affections. He smiled at her. He actually smiled at her._

"_Yes way." said Electra. "Look at his hair. I would kill to have hair as thick as that."_

"_I'd kill to have hair as thick as Peter." laughed Scarlett. "Joking aside, can you imagine how it would feel to run your fingers through that?"_

_By the time the boys had stopped laughing, his fan-club had moved on to Lupin's eyes._

"_They're gorgeous."_

"_And so twinkly…"_

"_Especially when he smiles."_

"_Oh I know." muttered Anna, unknowingly._

"_What? Oh my God! You _do_ fancy him! I knew it!"_

_The boys turned to Lupin. Sirius and James wore equally smug expressions. They didn't need to add, 'told you so'._

_This took a moment to sink in. "No I don't."_

"_You so do."_

"_I don't. I was thinking about something else."_

"_What?" asked Electra, smug and smirking. Her perfectly sculptured eyebrows raised and her blue eyes, electric as her name, stared._

_This would take some serious thinking. There was no time for thinking. They would tell him. He would gently let her down and then she could kiss goodbye to their friendship. What _had_ she been thinking about? Remus. Other than Remus…Potions. Yes, that was it._

"_Potions." she replied, as breezily as she could manage._

"_Hmm."_

"_She's hot for you Moony." joked James._

"_Shh." murmured Lupin, trying to understand Anna's body language._

_But the other girls let the matter drop, returning to their deity and debating whether his best feature was his eyes or his hair._

"_It's his voice you're attracted to." said Anna._

"_What voice?" asked Electra, provoking a laugh from the others. "He's so dark and brooding."_

"_That's the appeal isn't it?" said Scarlett, stating the obvious. "If he wasn't dark and brooding, he'd be light and chatty. That's just not the same, is it?"_

"_Exactly." answered Anna. "He rarely speaks so when he _does _speak to you, you feel honoured. He's so shy that when he smiles at you, you feel special. That's it. You're not in love with him. You're infatuated with Potter and Black and you think you feel so much stronger for Remus because he makes you feel those things. It's actually a rather good plan. If I didn't know him better than that, I'd tell you he was a womaniser."_

"_He's either a womaniser or he's gay." said Aggie._

"_Well Remus, they obviously don't know you as well as they think." laughed Sirius._

"_Yeah," agreed James. "I mean, we share a dormitory with you. You think we can't hear you?"_

_Lupin stared into space, obviously trying to escape to his 'happy place'. He was slowly turning red, the tips of his ears betraying his embarrassment._

"_I'm going over."_

"_James! No! James!" _

_Lupin surrendered and followed._

"_He's not gay." Anna told them, with a conviction that she didn't feel. Merlin, if he was gay, she would die. She mentally slapped herself and told herself not to be so melodramatic._

"_And how do you know?" asked Scarlett._

"_Because he wanks over her every other night." _

"_Shut up Potter." hissed Lupin, elbowing his friend in the ribs. "I don't." he told Anna. "He's just trying to embarrass you."_

"_No." corrected James. "I'm trying to embarrass _you_." He winked and moved closer to Sirius and the crowd of girls who swarmed around him._

_Anna's friends swooned over the school's resident womaniser as Sirius took to charming them in the hope of a date next week whilst James made elaborate gestures and spoke in a volume that suggested his partner in conversation was deaf, to attract the attention of Lily and make her as jealous as possible._

_Lupin tried to control his blushing. His arm snaked up to his neck and rubbed it nervously. "Um…yeah. Have you done the homework for Slughorn yet?"_

_Anna shook her head._

"_Well, um…shall we do it together?"_

"_Sure. If you like."_

"_You're better at it than me so…"_

"_Don't be stupid Remus."_

_Their attention was diverted by the arrival of an angered Lily Evans who promptly stormed over to James and stood before him, at thirteen only an inch shorter, her hands on her hips and her eyes blazing._

"_Would you mind being quiet? I can barely hear myself think."_

_James grinned. "Anything for you."_

_Lily sighed and turned on her heel, deciding to ignore him. Until…_

"_Lily-petal."_

_She swung round and hissed, "If you insist on calling me by that detestable nickname, I will have no choice but to wear your testicles for earrings."_

_Sirius laughed. "Bet he'd love that."_

"_And _you_!" she shrieked. "You're a pathetic little prat!"_

_CLICK!_

"_Grow up Peter!" she snapped._

"_Ooh. Bitchy." laughed Scarlett, tossing her hair and moving slowly closer to Sirius._

"_He can't! He's got a bloody disorder. You ought to be ashamed of yourself." replied Sirius, trying to keep a straight face as Peter glared at him and Lily's eyes burned._

"_If only looks could kill, eh Black?" muttered Anna._

"_I don't have a disorder." shouted Peter, flinging Lupin's camera at him._

"_Peter, it's time to face the facts. There's a reason your balls haven't dropped."_

"_Shut up." cried Peter, standing on his toes to slap Sirius across the face._

_CLICK!_

_Lupin smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. Couldn't resist. I didn't mean to offend you Peter. I don't want to get bitch-slapped or anything."_


	33. In which James butchers romance

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**I've been wanting to write this one for AGES!**

Harry wondered why he allowed himself to be tortured as such. He knew that gazing at pictures was not going to help. Nor was staring at his father's image likely to revive him. And yet, he felt compelled to try.

His father appeared to be begging. He was on his knees and his eyes were wide and desperate. He turned to face the camera and glowered. Lupin laughed.

"Seventeen years later, he's still glaring at me." said Sirius. He pointed toward the top of the frame where Lily sat on a tree stump, giggling. "At least your mother saw the funny side." Sirius smirked. "He was outside. I hadn't been stalking him or anything."

"Sirius, you bribed his whereabouts out of Peter."

Sirius adopted the expression that practically cried out 'guilt'. His eyes widened and he opened and closed his mouth, clasping it shut.

"Did I?" he asked, stiffly, faking confusion.

"Yes."

"Well you're the one who kept it."

"I had to."

The resultant awkward silence was unbreakable. Harry felt as though he really ought to say something but couldn't find the words.

"Is he-?"

"Yep."

_1978_

_James Potter paced and took deep breaths. She'd come back. He had no idea what had happened but one minute she had been reading her post and the next, his girlfriend had ran from the Great Hall, leaving her toast and marmalade for Sirius to scavenge. _

_He had assumed it was a letter from home. It was Christmas Day. Lily had woken early and shaken him awake because she claimed to be lonely. How she could be lonely surrounded in a dorm of three other girls, all giggling and exchanging gifts, was beyond him but he humoured her. She had seemed pleased to receive mail and then she had read it and ran. At least, it was nothing he had done._

"_Come on Moons, where will she be?"_

_Lupin broke off another square of chocolate and paused for thought. Beside him, Sirius shrugged and said, "_You're_ the one who took Divination."_

"_You know her better than anyone." squeaked Peter._

_James raised his eyebrows. "Sure." he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Snivel…Snape knows her better than me and, for that matter, so does Remus. And I know who I'd rather ask for help."_

"_I'd always opt for the library." said Lupin. "But that's closed now. Try somewhere quiet."_

_James had resolved himself to walking round the grounds in a bid for inspiration and eventually heard her sniffles from a tree stump near the forbidden forest. He found her crying on a tree stump, clutching her mother's letter._

"_Hey."_

_Lily jumped at the sound of his voice but hurriedly covered her face and turned away from him. He followed her round the stump, crouching beside her._

"_Look, you don't have to tell me. I'd just like to know what happened. I can't promise I won't kill whoever did it but I'll try my best, how about it?"_

_She wiped away her tears and giggled a moment before breaking out into more wails of despair and frustration._

"_Lil, tell me."_

_She shook her head but after a little coaxing, threw the letter at him, allowing the accompanying photograph to flutter into the thick dusting of snow at their feet. The girl it depicted looked a little like Lily. Her hair was darker but they had the same facial structure and the same eyes, although her sister's were far less striking._

"_Is this Petunia?"_

_Lily nodded, her face still hidden._

"_She seems nice enough."_

_Lily shrieked from behind her hands. "She's a bitch!"_

_James raised his eyebrows but his expression quickly softened. "Don't say that."_

"_Why shouldn't I?"_

"_Because you don't mean it."_

_She uncovered her face. Her eyes blazed as she stood, nose to chest with James Potter. She sucked in a breath and he watched as her hands shook. He had rarely ever seen her like this._

"_Don't tell me what I do and do not mean!"_

_Somehow, he managed to remain calm. "You'll regret saying it when you calm down."_

"_Calm down? Are you trying to tell me-?"_

"_I'm not trying to tell you anything. You won't even tell me what the hell did this to you!" he shouted over her. "You know what, forget it!"_

_He spun round and power walked away, kicking snow as he went until she shouted, "He's her fiancé! They're getting married next week! She didn't even tell me she was engaged!"_

_And before she even had time to worry that her harsh tone had offended him, she found herself wrapped up in muscular arms, Mrs. Lupin's blue woollen jumper Christmas present and strong aftershave. He didn't even seem to care that her mascara had stained the jumper he had only been given a matter of hours ago._

"_And…and…"_

"_Shh."_

"_She was…my…my b…best friend. We were going…to…be the…oth…other's bridesmaid and…"_

"_She sounds like an idiot."_

_Lily nodded, smearing her eye make-up yet further down his jumper. "I can't…b…believe she'd do this to m…me."_

"_And he looks like a pervert if I'm honest with you. I wouldn't like to be caught down a dark alley with him."_

_She laughed through her tears and James kissed the top of her head, wondering whether what he was about to say would make her run for cover. Knowing Lily, most certainly yes._

"_Then maybe you ought to marry first. You can have Remus as your bridesmaid and I'm sure Peter might be persuaded to sing soprano in the church choir. And hey, Sirius can organise the reception! No-one does parties like Sirius."_

_Lily laughed. "Well that's perfect but I don't have anyone to marry."_

"_What do you think I'm there for? The catering?"_

_Lily had almost forgotten why she was crying in the first place. She giggled and leant up to kiss his cheek._

"_You really are very sweet."_

"_So, will you?"_

"_What?"_

"_Marry me?"_

"_James, don't be ridiculous."_

"_Will you sit down?"_

_Lily sighed but obliged, rolling her eyes. "My position doesn't change anything James. I'm not marrying you on a whim because you feel sorry for me whether I sit down or not."_

_James knelt before her in the snow. Lily covered her eyes and cringed. "James. Please get up. James, get up."_

_CLICK!_

_Sirius clutched his sides. "That's priceless Prongs. Absolutely priceless."_

"_Will you lot bugger off?"_

"_Peter saw you from the window."_

"_Wormy!"_

"_You don't understand! He would have killed me, James!"_

"_THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!"_

"_Oh for the love of goodness."_

"_Couldn't agree more Remus." laughed Lily._

"_I bet if Moony had asked you, you would have said yes."_

_Lily rolled her eyes. "You weren't even serious."_

"_No _I_ am." laughed Sirius._

"_You know Padfoot, that joke was old by nineteen-seventy-two." quipped Lupin, nudging him._

"_How do you know anyway?" asked James._

"_You didn't even have a ring."_

_James was caught slightly off-guard. "Yeah…well, you know."_

_The silence that followed was broken by Peter pointing upwards. "Hey look, snow!"_

_Lupin shivered and pulled his scarf further around him. "I'm going in. Come on."_

"_But-"_

"_We're going in! Aren't. We. Pads?"_

_By the time they had dragged Peter off, even Lily was laughing. She accepted James's hand and he pulled her to her feet._

"_Come on, if you won't marry me, you might as well dance with me in it."_

_CLICK!_

"_Oh sod off boys!"_


	34. In which Peter finds his true vocation

**Disclaimer:** **See Prologue**

**A/N: The last chapter was supposed to be 1977 by the way, I have no idea why I suddenly completely changed the years they were at school there. Its relation to Chapter 26 and the changes there will be explained soon.  
****Also thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I really do appreciate it.**

Harry laughed despite himself at the next photograph before him. The look on Lupin's face was priceless. He sat before a mirror with a mop of sandy hair. His mouth gawped and contorted into a look of sheer horror and panic. Peter stood behind him, clutching his wand and biting his lip while James and Sirius looked on, in hysterics.

"I think Peter missed his true vocation," laughed Sirius. "I _told_ him he should have been a hairdresser."

"Sod off." muttered Lupin, running a hand through his hair. "There are days when I miss it."

"Miss what?" asked Harry.

"Being ginger." replied Sirius, laughing.

"I was _not_ ginger! I had _auburn _hair."

"Oh do forgive me," joked Sirius. "I should have known. Of course, you were too middle class to be ginger."

"From the man who had a housemaid."

"Ooh, you went there."

"What are you, _twelve_?"

Harry cleared his throat and the two alleged adults fell into silence. Sirius poked his tongue out and Lupin made a crude gesture.

"Are you going to tell him, or shall I?" asked Sirius.

"I'm not even going to justify that with a response." replied Lupin. "It was the summer holiday and they were all staying round mine…"

_1975_

_On the surface, the ninth of August was a day like any other. Until that year, it held no significance for Remus Lupin whatsoever. He sat up in bed and shook his shoulder length hair out of his face. He stretched and, catching sight of himself in the mirror, screamed._

"_OH MY GOD!"_

_Even Sirius sat up with a jolt and groaned in protest._

"_What?" _

"_I've got a grey hair! I'm _fifteen_!"_

_Sirius pointed and laughed before turning over and covering his exposed ear with the other half of his pillow._

_James was slightly more practical and got to his feet. Lupin's slight height advantage meant that he had to reach up to flick through Lupin's hair and pull it out._

"_Christ Remus, you've got bloody loads."_

"_I haven't!" cried Lupin, clamping his hair to his head. "Have I?"_

_Sirius now sat up. "Remus?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_You know how you had red fur?"_

_Lupin rolled his eyes. "Is it going to be grey, is that what you're asking?"_

_Sirius grinned. "Yeah."_

"_I don't know. Maybe. I hope not. Oh God, what am I going to do?"_

_Peter pulled the desk chair forward until it stood just in front of Lupin's mirror and set him down in it. His hands clutched either side of the back of it and he looked into Lupin's eyes through the mirror and told him he knew a spell. _

_Which was worrying in itself._

"_Peter," said Lupin, half laughing. "You look like such a queen."_

_Peter smacked the back of his head and pulled out his wand._

"_Right. Now was it an 'o' or a 'or'?"_

_Lupin's eyes widened. "You know Pete, we could just forget about it. My mum will buy me some dye."_

"_Nonsense, it's fine," Peter assured him. "Any particular colour you want?"_

_Sirius doubled up. "You sound like a hairdresser Peter!"_

_Peter pursed his lips but said nothing. _

"_Well, I'm actually quite happy with what I've got," said Lupin. "You know, it's probably just the stress. It'll sort itself out. Thanks anyway Peter."_

_Lupin made to stand but Peter pinned him back into the seat. He pointed his wand at Lupin's head and flicked it. Lupin closed his eyes and prayed that for once, Peter knew what he was doing._

"_There!" cried Peter, triumphantly. "No more greys."_

_Lupin's eyes flew open at the sound of James's gasp of shock and horror. He bit his lip and blinked twice before he truly believed what he saw. His mouth gawped at the sight that greeted him. His auburn waves were now blondish-brown in colour but at least, as Peter had pointed out, there appeared to be no greys._

_CLICK!_

"_WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY HAIR?"_

_Sirius laughed so hard that he clutched his ribs and was therefore unable to wipe away the tears of mirth that streamed down his cheeks. "Moons…that…was… ab…solutely…priceless."_

"_WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE PETER?" shrieked Lupin at least an octave higher than the others thought humanly possible, as he shook Peter by the shoulders._

"_I don't know," answered Peter, his dull blue eyes wide with fear._

"_WELL WHAT THE HELL WILL COUNTER ACT IT?"_

"_I don't know."_

_As hilarious as Sirius found the sight and begged him not to, James stepped in and pulled Peter out of Lupin's range._

"_Jesus Christ Moony, you're going to give him a hernia!"_

_Lupin took a deep breath. "My mother's going to go absolutely spare. Peter, you are so going to pay for this!"_

"_Okay," said James. "There's bound to be something to turn it back."_

"_There had _better_ be."_

_Sirius's laughing fit was now over and he draped an arm around Lupin's shoulders. "I think you'd be surprised by how much it suits you Loops."_

"_Yeah," agreed James. "It looks quite natural actually."_

"_You really think so?"_

"_Yes," whimpered Peter from the other side of the room._

_Lupin turned and smiled grimly. "I'm sorry Peter. I was just a bit…shocked."_

_Peter whimpered his forgiveness and added, "I'll try and find the counter-charm."_

_Lupin grinned. "Nah, don't worry about it. I think I like it."_

"_So it's for keeps?" asked Sirius._

_Lupin nodded. "At least for as long as it stops you calling me 'Ginger Pubes' anyway."_

_Sirius raised an eyebrow. "He didn't dye _them_."_

"_Worked on my eyebrows," said Lupin, pushing his fringe up and smiling smugly._


	35. In which Sirius crosses the line

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

Lupin's choice of photograph was always the more interesting. This particular picture had been taken in the Great Hall and Harry would love to have seen what had caused Sirius's jaw to drop and the look of sheer horror on his face was priceless. His mouth hung open and slowly twisted into a smile before becoming a grimace.

Beside him, James Potter laughed until he was forced to wipe the streaming tears from his eyes.

"What was that about?" asked Harry.

"Don't ask," replied Sirius.

Lupin grinned.

_1974_

_Peter had been late. Sirius and James had voted in favour of boarding the train without him but Lupin had insisted they wait and had stood alone on the platform until Sirius and James felt a pang of guilt for leaving him out there, allowing a group of Hufflepuffs to take their compartment._

_Finally, at one minute to eleven, Peter fell through the barrier and the four boys ran to throw Peter's suitcase into the luggage compartment. Peter managed to grab hold of Lupin's wrist as the latter jumped onto a moving train after James and Sirius. _

"_That was unbelievably cool," said James. "I've always wanted to do that."_

"_What?" hissed Sirius, glaring at Peter. "Miss the train?"_

_Lupin, ever the peace-keeper, stood between the two. "But we didn't so it doesn't matter."_

"_I don't know why you're defending him! He could have killed you!"_

"_By being late?" asked Lupin, one eyebrow hidden by his fringe. _

"_He almost dragged you under the bloody train," snapped Sirius._

_James smiled. "Peter, you can't kill Fruit-Loop. Who would we copy off?"_

_Lupin rolled his eyes and sighed. "Come on, let's find a seat."_

_There wasn't an empty compartment in sight. Sirius became increasingly irate and threatened to hit Peter in progressively more obscene places as they neared the end of the train._

"_Alright, there's one here," said James, throwing open the door and staring at a young woman who looked as though she could possibly be in her last year at school. He hadn't seen her before and he certainly hadn't noticed her a moment before. Perhaps she was a hallucination._

"_I'm sorry," she said, smiling and showing a row of gleaming white teeth. "Are you gentlemen in need of a compartment?"_

_Lupin nodded, swallowing hard and unable to speak._

_James smiled at her but said nothing, not trusting himself to do or say the right thing. She was so beautiful that Peter almost wet himself and they could all smell the testosterone waves that Sirius emitted._

"_Hello. I haven't seen you before," said Sirius, taking the seat next to her and wrapping an arm around the seat above her shoulders._

_She pursed her lips but said only, "No, nor I you."_

"_I'm Sirius."_

"_Lovely."_

"_So where have you been all my life?"_

"_In prison," she replied coolly, making James, Lupin and Peter sit up straight and want their mothers._

"_That's cool. I can work with that. Got any tattoos?"_

"_Er…Sirius…?"_

"_What were you in for?"_

_The other three boys groaned and covered their eyes. Sirius was oblivious to this and raised his eyebrows, smiling his sexiest smile._

"_I castrated my ex-boyfriend and fed it to him."_

_Sirius whistled. "You sound like a right psycho."_

_The young woman smirked. "You've no idea."_

"_But," said Sirius, not knowing when it was best to just shut up. "Psycho girls are fantastic in bed."_

_She raised her eyebrows and wrinkled her nose in distaste. He hurriedly backtracked._

"_Or so I've heard anyway…"_

_They sat in an uncomfortable silence for what felt like hours._

"_So…" said Sirius, trying to fill the silence. "Do you have a favourite subject?"_

_She smirked. "Defence Against the Dark Arts."_

"_That's cool."_

_She nodded and returned to staring out of the window, stiffening as Sirius's arm came to rest on her shoulders and she could feel his body-heat. She cleared her throat meaningfully._

"_Hey listen," he whispered. "If you're ever needing someone for anything, I'm your man. What are you doing on Saturday?"_

_The young woman smiled politely and pointedly ignored him._

"_Okay. You're playing hard to get?"_

_He caught James's eye and grinned. Leaning in, he captured her face and pulled in for a kiss that embarrassed even James. She eventually managed to win the struggle and pushed him so hard that he almost hit the wall of the other side of the carriage._

"_That's quite enough. Gentlemen, I'll leave you to it. May I suggest you change into your uniforms?"_

_She slammed the door behind her and Lupin exhaled properly for the first time in an hour. It was almost a sigh of relief._

"_She was awfully stuck-up, wasn't she?" Peter remarked, still staring out of the door even after she had long gone._

"_But she snogs like an electric eel," laughed Sirius. "Give it a week and she'll be on her knees."_

_James laughed, Lupin made a noise expressing deep disgust and Peter remained clueless._

"_Huh?"_

_James punched him amiably in the shoulder and he and Lupin burst into more laughter._

_

* * *

_

"_Right," said Sirius as he and his three friends entered the Great Hall. "Keep an eye out for her. I want to know what house she's in."_

"_I bet she's a Ravenclaw," said Peter. "They're all up their own arses."_

"_Nah, she's a Hufflepuff," said James. "That's why she's so frigid."_

_It wasn't until they were halfway through dessert that Lupin finally noticed her and threw his head back, laughing so hard that his ribs hurt._

"_What the hell happened to Moony?"_

_Lupin tried to speak and found that he couldn't possibly. He pointed to the young woman they had shared a carriage with and Sirius gasped. His mouth dropped open and his hands began to shake. He clutched Lupin's arm and took shallow and frenzied breaths._

"_What is it?" asked James. "She's a Slytherin? Is she your brother's girlfriend."_

"_Obviously not," said Peter, proud for once to be right. "She's way older than us and Regulus is only twelve!"_

_Lupin caught James's eye and pointed to her. He positioned himself to get a better view of Sirius's face, the expression on which was priceless._

_CLICK!_

"_What?" asked Peter as James burst into tears of laughter._

_Lupin sighed and indicated towards the object of their friend's affections._

_She was sitting at the Staff Table._


	36. In which Lupin is bribed

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A/N: I can't get Anna out of my head which is a shame considering how much I hate her. I'm sorry I took so long to update. This chapter had to be really bashed out. Also, for those reading Kreacher Comforts, sorry but no new chapter until I get five reviews.**

Lupin groaned and covered his eyes with his right hand, tempted to temporarily blind Harry in the same way. The poor kid shouldn't have to be subjected to this.

Sirius grinned and handed the picture to Harry whose initial response was to scream. Managing to contain himself, he raised his eyebrows. Why in the name of all that is magical, did one of the other three boys find it necessary to photograph Lupin in the early morning, lying in his four poster bed in Gryffindor tower with a pretty, young witch in his arms? Harry's eyes widened. "O…kay." he finally managed to murmur.

He was sure he heard Lupin mutter, "Why didn't I go through these? _Why_?" to no-one in particular and smiled.

"Well I've seen it now," began Harry. "You might as well explain it before I think there's something sinister about it. Who took it anyway?"

"Who do you _think_?" asked Lupin, trying to suppress his grin.

Sirius beamed on the other side of Harry and shrugged. "Beats me."

"You're a pervert Padfoot and that's the only conclusion I can come to." said Lupin. "It all started the night before…"

_1978_

_The library was silent, silent in a manner that could be considered eerie. Well, by anyone except Remus Lupin who had been waiting for everyone else to leave for hours. These rare moments of peace while he studied had become a luxury. He smiled to himself and became so immersed in the paragraph that gave a detailed description of transformation via a Polyjuice Potion, that he failed to hear the door click and the sound of footsteps dance across the wooden floorboards._

_He didn't even acknowledge another's presence until his visitor sat on the desk. He murmured, "I'll leave now. I just have to finish this paragraph and then I'll leave you lock up."_

"_You think I'm Madam Pince?" she asked. Her laughter was infectious and he looked up from his book, immediately losing his place._

"_Anna! I thought you were busy tonight."_

"_I was." she replied, leaning down and kissing his cheek. "And now I've come back early because I want to spend some time with my boyfriend before the library can steal him again."_

_Lupin revelled in the kisses that punctuated her sentences, knowing that he really oughtn't let her get away with anything just because she wanted to be with him. He still couldn't understand why if he was honest. There was nothing special about him. Now that James was taken, Sirius had become the soul sex God and that suited him just fine but he couldn't grasp why any girl in her right mind would choose him._

"_I have a tiny favour to ask you." she said, swinging her legs over the desk and choosing instead to sit on his lap, a position that made him extremely uncomfortable._

"_Oh yes?"_

"_Yeah. I have some homework…"_

"_What for?" he sighed the sigh of an experienced man. He had this all the time from Peter. "If it's Potions, you really are better off going to a House Elf than trying to get the right answer out of me."_

_She laughed. "It's Divination."_

_Lupin stared at her. "I didn't even take Divination."_

"_I know but you know everything."_

"_I'll see what I can do." he told her, knowing full well that it would be done by Monday morning even if he had to give up his whole weekend to finish it._

"_Thanks Remus. Anything I can do for you?"_

_The answer she was expecting was most definitely not, "Yeah. You can leave me finish my Potions and then I'll go through your homework with you."_

_He kissed her, physically begging her not to take offence and she responded in a manner that made him blush furiously. Anna laughed, taking in the colour of his cheeks and practically skipped out, calling,_

"_Sure…_Professor_" back to him._

_

* * *

_

_It was now two o'clock on Saturday morning and it had been seven hours since she had asked him to help her. He hadn't done it but it would have been nice to hear from her at least, in return._

_Who was he kidding? He'd been up until midnight writing the whole thing and copying it out again neatly in his best imitation of Anna's cursive loops._

_He felt cold arms wrap around him and froze. They were unbelievably cold. Worse, they probably belonged to Sirius who was either off his face or winking at James who was ready with the camera._

"_I know it's you," hissed Lupin, not even turning to face the invader of his space. _

"_Well who else would I be?" asked Anna, wrapping an equally cold leg around his as though anchoring him and snuggling up to him._

"_What are you wearing?" he asked her, his suspicion meaning that he couldn't turn to look at her._

"_Chanel Number Five."_

_Lupin's eyes widened. He was glad that she couldn't see the slow smile that spread across his reddening cheeks in a harsh comparison to the sheer panic in his eyes. "No wonder you're cold."_

"_Warm me up?" she asked, dropping a kiss in the hollow between his neck and shoulder and smiling smugly as he shivered._

_When he eventually turned to face her, his pupils were so large that had his eyes not been the same shade, they would have betrayed him._

"_I did your star thing," he croaked as she settled herself in his open arms and pressed her bare chest against his. He inwardly cringed as she smirked in triumph at his obvious awkwardness in her presence. "And I want you to know that if this is a favour for that, you can get out now."_

_Anna raised an eyebrow. "You think I'm trying to shag you for filling in my horoscope chart?"_

_Lupin's eyes widened. "Are you?"_

"_Am I what?"_

"_Trying to shag me?"_

_Anna shrugged and smiled._

_Lupin almost lost the power of speech but came to his senses in time to realise that he had done more than his fair share of balking. He grinned at her._

"_Because according to your chart," he said, holding her closer to him. "Pisceans are supposed to be really lucky this weekend."_

_Anna laughed, muffling the sound by means of her boyfriend's chest._

"_Do you really want to?" she asked him, noting his reluctance to look her in the eyes and his shallow, nervous breaths._

"_You know I want to," he told her. "I just can't."_

"_But why?"_

"_How many times must we have this conversation?"_

_Anna sighed. "Are you gay?"_

_Lupin's laughter was so infectious that despite herself, she joined him in fits of giggles that so well suited her chocolaty ringlets and baby face._

"_I think," he said, kissing the top of her head, "That your very presence in my bed should be a big enough clue."_

"_So you just don't want me then?"_

_The silence that followed was so awkward that Anna wondered if that was her cue to leave. She extracted herself from his arms and leant down, throwing on her nightdress._

_Lupin appeared to have no objection until she threw back the curtain and made to leave. He rolled onto the side of the bed she had recently occupied and took hold of her wrist._

"_What?" she snapped, eyes blazing._

"_Come here."_

_She reluctantly complied and perched on the end of his bed. She shut the curtains on command and refused to look at him._

_He moved her to the exact centre of his bed, such was the manner of a man with such acute OCD, and hovered above her, resting his weight on his palms._

"_Why I can't I ever say no to you?" he murmured, kissing his way down her jaw line._

_

* * *

_

_His sudden awakening was a result of Anna's gasp of surprise and Sirius's cry of embarrassment and fear of what Lupin was about to do to him._

"_Jesus Padfoot!"_

"_Sorry," cried Sirius, in strangled tones. "Just…you're normally up by now and me and Prongs were getting a bit worried but um…good. Now we now. Um…well, all seems to be in order here. I hope you had a nice night."_

"_Shut up and close the curtains."_

_Guilty smiles were exchanged and Lupin was spared the post-coital 'How was it for you?' judgement by Sirius's sudden change of heart._

_CLICK!_

_Anna threw a pillow at him and Sirius retreated but the damage had been done._

_Lupin wasn't entirely sure that there was anything to say. His friends had photographed their first kiss and now their first and decidedly awkward coupling. He had no idea what Anna must think of them and could only hope she didn't tar him with the same brush._

"_I…um…," stammered Lupin. "Look, do you want to get some breakfast?"_


	37. In which Sirius antagonises

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A/N: For 4vr17Vi who asked for this one.**

Lupin and Sirius laughed at the next one, handing it to Harry who missed the wink Sirius threw his friend and Lupin's subsequent almost blush and frown of disapproval.

It depicted Sirius dodging china that Harry thought were probably unique pieces or treasured gifts. It was the sort of thing that usually happened to his godfather.

What was interesting was the little girl with bright yellow hair, standing in the middle of the room and watching with a vague interest as though she did not know that she was the cause of this debacle. Yet none of the vases and display plates that must have belonged to her parents, landed near her.

"Is that…?"

"Yep," answered Sirius, guessing the question. "And when she comes round today, she will be teased mercilessly until my sides are sore."

_1977_

_Sirius took his friend by the wrist and dragged him in. Personally, he understood Lupin's hesitance. The last time Remus had met his relatives, things had gone gradually from bad to worse._

"_She's not at all like my mother. Andromeda's great."_

_Lupin made a noise that made it quite clear that he highly doubted it._

"_Come on!"_

_And the door shut behind them, revealing what was actually a normal looking house. Alright, so a broom was propped up against the stairs but besides that, it could have belonged to a family of Muggles._

_The walls were a comforting creamy contrast to the gothic entrance hall of the Black residence and Lupin's sounds of pleasant surprise resulted in a burst of laughter and an 'I told you so' from Sirius, alerting Andromeda Tonks to their presence._

_She almost glided out of the kitchen with the grace that she had inherited from her mother. She brushed a fleck of dust off the mantelpiece and beamed at the two teenaged boys._

"_You must be Remus," she said, extending her hand._

_Lupin stared at her for a moment, wondering how she knew his name but he hurriedly took her hand so as not to seem impertinent._

_She answered his question as quickly as though she had read his mind so clear was his facial expression._

"_James and I have already met and you just don't look like a Peter."_

"_Thank your lucky stars," whispered Sirius. "I don't think you could pay me to look like Peter."_

_Andromeda either ignored this or failed to hear it. The latter, Lupin seriously doubted._

"_I'm so glad he's brought someone a little more responsible with him. I was terrified he would have brought James and frankly Sirius, I really do dread to think. Thank you both for coming. I really appreciate it at such short notice but Ted's got a funeral to go to and obviously we can't take Dora."_

_Sirius nodded sagely echoing her tone in his noises of agreement whilst unashamedly allowing his mind to wander._

_As if on cue, a girl who stood at about four foot, plodded down the stairs. Her black hair hung over her face and eyes black as Lupin's peered out from under her fringe._

"_Nymphadora!" cried Andromeda, tired of her daughter's dark mood. "Change it immediately!"_

_Lupin failed to see exactly what was wrong with the girl. She looked perfectly normal to him, despite looking like an extra in a horror film. _

_Shockingly, and so quickly he almost missed it, Nymphadora changed her hair to a vivid red and Lupin stared in panic, wondering if perhaps this was all inside his head as neither Andromeda nor Sirius batted an eyelid._

"_Er…?" he stammered._

_Sirius turned to face him and grinned. "She's a metamorphagus."_

"_Right."_

_With a last kiss on the forehead and a stern command to 'Be good!', Andromeda Tonks swept out into the August morning, leaving her daughter to change her hair back to a dreary black in the exact shade of her eyes and glare up at the two young men before her._

_Sirius padded off into the kitchen, leaving Lupin to participate in what appeared to be a stare-out. He was moderately afraid of this child. She looked at him as though he were scum, the way most of Sirius's family looked at him._

"_So," he said eventually. "Nymphadora."_

_Her hair was the same angry red it had been a few moments earlier and Lupin was forced to plaster on a terrified smile and call for his friend._

"_Sirius! She's er…she's done it again."_

"_What colour?"_

_Lupin now heard the sounds of the television in the background his outrage almost matched that of the little girl opposite him._

"_Red. _Really_ red."_

"_Right, back away slowly and maintain eye contact."_

_Lupin rolled his eyes and crouched down on the child's level. He took a deep breath and tried to avoid her glares as dark as her eyes._

"_Shall I not call you that?"_

_She shook her head and Lupin smiled; at last! A breakthrough!_

"_What shall I call you then?"_

_She shrugged and Lupin tried to remember the shortening her mother had used. Dora!_

"_Right, okay Dora…can I call you Dora?"_

_She nodded and her hair changed to a lighter shade, almost an orange and her eyes were now hazel._

"_You look very pretty," he told her. "You look like my mother right now actually."_

_Dora giggled and clamped a hand to her mouth. Her hair was tinged a distinct red and her eyes were taking on progressively darker tones._

"_You don't like my mother? You've never _met_ my mother!"_

_Dora bit her lip to stop the smile and Lupin understood._

"_Ah, you don't like _me_." He stood at his full height and her eyes widened. "I'll make myself scare then."_

_And he left the door of the living room open, hoping she would eventually follow him through it. He collapsed beside Sirius on the sofa and waited for him to stand and offer to watch her for a while._

"_Nah, she'll be fine," was his response to Lupin voicing his concerns._

"_She doesn't like me and I think one of us should watch her. She's only four! She won't even speak to me Pads. If I tell a joke, she laughs for a bit and then tries to punish herself. It's like getting information out of a house-elf!"_

_Sirius was tempted to roll his eyes but realised that doing so would involve removing his eyes from the screen._

"_She doesn't hate you Moony. She's just pissed off that her mother's left without her."_

"_Language!"_

_Sirius heaved himself out of the sofa and harrumphed as he stepped into the hallway, slamming the door behind him._

_It was only when Lupin heard the smash of what turned out to be a unique, discontinued Royal Dalton vase, that he switched off the television and followed his friend into the hall._

_He dodged several plates that were hovering behind Sirius like heat-seeking devices, to get to his camera which Sirius had flung on the coat stand. _

_Dora's hair was now a canary yellow that strangely suited her with bright green eyes that should have clashed horrifically. She even smiled at Lupin._

_CLICK!_

"_Moony I mean it! When I get my hands on you I'll…I'll…I don't know what I'll do but you can bet it won't be ahhhhhh! Pleasant!"_

_Lupin shook with silent laughter and Dora joined him, her laughter now like bells as she watched her mother's best china commit what appeared to be a mass suicide by jumping off the walls and onto her cousin's head._

_Her laughter calmed her and slowly the pieces of china drifted to the floor._

_Sirius stood across the hall, breathing deeply and struggling for words._

"_Next time Remus, I'm bringing James."_


	38. In which Lupin is avenged

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A/N: Sorry I didn't update this but there's not long left. **

Harry's latest find had revealed his father trying to pull Sirius off a sinister, swarthy eyed man who was taller even than him and Harry thought that an almost impossibility.

"Sirius, what the hell?"

Lupin shook his head, knowing Sirius' answer. It was the same one he had given to McGonagall when she had pulled him to one side on the last day of term and threatened him with a permanent mark of assault on his record.

"I was defending Remus' honour!"

Lupin rolled his eyes.

_1978_

_Two days left. Two days and he would be free of the idiot who had riled him until he was forced to walk out of the library. Two days and he would be free of the heartbreaking bitch who sat beside him. Two days. He could handle that. It was only forty-eight hours. He had to keep thinking like that. Forty-eight hours. He could go to bed and try to sleep but he only ever ended up hitting his pillow against the wall and being shaken awake by an alarmed Peter. No, best stay in the Common Room and hope for the best._

_And he would've. He really would have stayed but just as he had calmed himself, she started apologising again._

_Lupin leapt to his feet. "You know what? I honestly don't give a damn, now if you don't mind-"_

_And the fresh air as he slammed the portrait hole shut, calmed him a little._

"_Hey Fruit-Loop!"_

"_Hello," murmured Lupin, hoping against hope that Sirius would bugger off. The last person he needed right now was Sirius Black making crude jokes. _

"_James! James, I found him!"_

_Lupin sighed. Great. Bloody fantastic. Sirius and James. "Yay," he muttered, sarcastically to himself._

"_Moony, are you alright?" asked James, peering into his friend's charcoal black eyes. "Moons, we're really worried about you."_

"_I'm not," said Sirius. "He's been through worse than this. Remember the time he had a nervous breakdown after he forgot to finish his Trans homework and had to be taken to Madam Pomfrey? I mean, what's having your girlfriend cheat on you with a guy who's even more of a slime ball than Snivellus compared to forgetting to write your conclusion?"_

_This evoked a small, weak smile from Lupin._

"_That's more like it," said James. "I'm glad you're smiling again."_

"_Well," said Sirius, sucking on a sugar quill. "I don't know about you Prongs, but what's been worrying me is Moony hasn't taken any dodgy pictures of us."_

"_Yeah, I'll start again tomorrow."_

_James grinned and gave the password to the Fat Lady who swung open for him._

"_You coming Loop, or what?"_

"_Hi Lupin, wasn't expecting to see you."_

_Lupin slowly turned to face the burly Mulciber and managed to plaster on an entirely false and unbelievable smile._

"_Really? You weren't expecting to see me outside my own house Common Room?"_

_James stared open mouthed and speechless but the latter problem was solved by Sirius, who spoke enough for all of them._

"_Really Mulciber? I'm with Remus on this one, it's most odd; but then I suppose that's what happens when cousins marry. What are you doing here anyway? Waiting to pick up the tart?"_

_Mulciber smirked. "No. I wanted to talk to Lupin, didn't I?"_

"_I don't know," said Sirius. "What do you think I am, your PA?"_

_Despite himself, perhaps it was the hysteria or the sheer ridiculousness of the entire situation, Lupin had to bite back laughter._

"_Well," he managed. "Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of my friends-"_

"_Let's get Pete here shall we, and have the whole crowd?"_

"_Sirius," snapped James, eventually coming to his senses. "Shut up! You don't have a wand."_

"_Well he didn't need to know that did he?" shouted Sirius, exasperated._

_Lupin cleared his throat. "Anything you have to say to me can also wait until I have some spare time to give you."_

"_The twelfth of never, you free then?"_

"_Sirius!" _

_Mulciber laughed and Peter turned the corner, Lupin's camera in hand._

"_Oh great, Remus, just who I was looking for. I think there's a fault with the flash and- Merlin's pants!"_

"_Crucio!"_

_Sirius ducked, narrowly avoiding the spell that bounced off the wall and caused a crack in the flooring. He intended to get to his feet and run through the Portrait Hole as fast as he could but somehow he found himself taking a running leap at his assailant and clinging to his neck for balance, smashing his nose repeatedly and screaming profanities regarding men who steal other men's girlfriends. Which was all fine and dandy until he found himself pinned to the floor and dodging Mulciber's unforgivable curses._

_CLICK!_

_James lowered the camera. "You know Pete, as useful as pictures will be in solving Pads' murder, I don't think it's a good idea to let it get that far." He was smiling now, he could almost hear the cogs of Lupin's brain in motion._

"_I've been working on something. No matter what happens, just go with it."_

"_Remus, you don't have a wand. What are you, nuts?"_

"_Quite possibly."_

_Lupin waved a hand as though bringing out an orchestra and they found themselves in blinding darkness where the only sounds were Mulciber's growls of frustration, Lupin's cry of jubilance and Sirius' quip,_

"_Is it just me or is anyone else reminded of the plagues of Egypt?"_

"_Shut up," hissed Lupin and in the distance, James heard the sound of their footsteps._

_The lights flickered into life and Mulciber glared at Peter who had taken the liberty of photographing him._

"_Yeah, sorry about that," said James quietly. "The lights, what can you do?"_

"_That would have made an epic picture," said Peter._

"_Peter," began James, not sure how to remind him of his own stupidity. "Not only was that magic but the flash of the camera doesn't work, remember?"_

"_Oh yeah. Oh well…"_

* * *

_Lupin dragged Sirius through the Portrait hole where James and Peter were waiting._

"_You…ever…do that…to me…again…and I'll…" panted Lupin, doubling over and clutching a stitch. "Six…bloody…floors…sprinting…can't…breathe."_

_James raised an amused eyebrow. "You realise that as Head Boy, I really ought to report this?"_

"_After everything I've just done," said Lupin, gasping for breath. "I'd kill you."_

"_Well I'm not going to but only because the whole lights on, lights off thing was unbelievably cool. You have _got_ to show me how to do that."_

_Lupin grinned. "Deal. Where's Sirius?"_

_CLICK!_

_Peter loomed over the collapsed body, testing out the flash that James had repaired._

"_Do you think he'll be alright?" asked James._

"_He'll be fine," replied Lupin. "I think he just got a little over-excited."_


	39. In which Peter is torn

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

Lupin groaned. "I really don't want to have to explain that to you."

For once, judging by his avoiding Harry's gaze and clenched jaw, Sirius agreed and shook his head. "Seriously Harry, put it away."

The picture seemed innocent enough. Sirius and Lupin looked a little disgruntled and Harry was fairly sure that those were tears pooling in his godfather's eyes. Bloody hell! The teenaged Lupin rolled his eyes but gave the camera a half-smile and nudged Sirius, winking at him.

"You said you'd tell me," protested Harry. "You said if there was anything I wanted to know then I would know it, remember? Well I want to know."

_1976_

"_Anything could have happened!"_

"_But it didn't!"_

"_But it _could_ have! Can't you see what a fucking prick you're being?!"_

_Peter quivered and was almost tempted to shut the curtains around his bed but so engrossed was he in the fight that he couldn't. He had never known Remus to react so violently to anything. They would always joke that he must be permanently inhaling something to be so calm. Alright, so Sirius had done something stupid but he was right, nothing had come of it. Thanks to James who was currently trying to get a word in edgeways. _

"_Siri-"_

"_Keep out of it Potter!"_

"_Don't speak to _me _like that Lupin!"_

"_Sod off James," snapped Sirius. "Get off your high horse. Why don't you go and bloody report it? That's what you do best."_

"_If he hadn't stepped in, I'd be a killer!"_

"_Remus stop being such a bloody drama queen!"_

_And before Peter realised what had happened, Sirius had been hit hard enough to send him reeling and Lupin had slammed the door behind him so hard that the sound reverberated through him._

"_Oh well," said Peter. "Night, night."_

_After all, there was nothing to worry about. It would all be alright in the morning. Lupin would calm down and apologise and Sirius would tell him that it wouldn't happen again and things would return to normal. This always happened; perhaps not on quite this scale but…. There had always been a clash between Lupin and Sirius but when they got on, they _really_ got on so it had never been a problem before. _

* * *

_The next morning, a Monday, began as Monday mornings always did. The four boys headed down to breakfast, Lupin first at the crack of dawn followed by James who was hoping to catch Lily but was always about an hour late, then Peter who wanted to go while there would still be someone to sit with and lastly Sirius who often had to skip breakfast anyway because he was so late._

_This particular Monday morning however, began with Lupin sitting at the other end of the table with Lily Evans who was listening intently and nodding. Perhaps, in fact there was no perhaps about it, the fact that James would have sat with Lupin to nose in on his popularity with Evans was a given, on a regular Monday morning the others would have crowded round them but not today. _

_James sat at the other end on the opposite side with Peter who was biting his lip and praying that things would be fine by first lesson. After all, it was Charms and Lupin and Sirius sat together in Charms; always had. They'd work it out then. Peter breathed a sigh of relief and, having regained his appetite, loaded his bowl with porridge. _

* * *

_Well he'd been wrong. That was no surprise, he was wrong on a regular basis. In fact, if Peter Pettigrew thought it was so, you could bet it was not._

_Lupin had sat at the back of the class with Lily and was soon distracted by her humour and charm. By ten o'clock, he had forgotten what had riled him so._

_Sirius strolled in and did a double take when he found Lupin's seat empty. His eyes roamed in a faux casual manner trying to locate his one-time best friend. He took his usual seat when prompted to by Flitwick and Peter thought this was the only reason Sirius surrendered and subsequently lost the stare-out._

_James sat with Peter, as always and attempted to help him as much as it was possible to help Peter with anything._

_In Care of Magical Creatures, the lesson in which he and Lupin were forced to work together having paired up for the term because Sirius and James knew that otherwise Lupin would end up with Lovett and neither particularly wanted to lose him to her, Sirius failed to show up and Lupin quit the class._

_Peter was starting to worry now. James and Sirius were like brothers and they hadn't spoken since the previous night either. Lupin would never walk out of a lesson and, rebellious though he was, it was unlike Sirius to play truant._

_They didn't see Sirius for the rest of the day. He failed to appear in any of his classes, all of which were shared with Lupin and Peter. He also failed to appear at lunch, which was most unlike him. _

_When Peter eventually returned to the dormitory after being informed that James was going to take a long walk and told to leave Remus alone after visiting the owlery, he found Sirius lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling. He didn't appear to notice that Peter was even there._

"_Hi Padfoot."_

_Sirius grunted a response._

"_I see you finished _War and Peace_."_

"_Lupin took it back."_

_Peter nodded. "Right."_

_Sirius sat up. "Lupin took _all_ his stuff back. Come to think of it, where is his stuff anyway?"_

_Peter shrugged. The foot of Lupin's bed, usually home to a large trunk and several books that had fallen off the bed and even the occasional chocolate wrapper, was bare. The bed was made and upon closer inspection, Peter found the drawers of the bedside table empty too._

"_That's odd," he mused and grabbed his music sheets. "Anyway, I have choir practice so I'll see you later."_

_And so Sirius relapsed into deathly silence and waited for Lupin to arrive. He might as well have waited for the Easter Bunny as the first person to walk through the door was Peter, returning after a two hour rehearsal. He was shortly followed by a frantic James._

"_Where's Remus?"_

_Peter shrugged. "Last saw him in the owlery straight after school. He said he'd apologised to Snape on behalf of both himself and Sirius and that he had to speak to Professor Dumbledore. He told me he was writing to his dad."_

_James had clearly been told something that the others hadn't. Sirius sat up with a jolt. _

"_What the hell's going on James?"_

"_I've just spoken to Lily," said James, quietly in a weak and trembling voice. "His stuff's gone. Shit!"_

_James made to run out of the room but Sirius's reflexes were too quick for him. He grabbed James by the arm and spun him round to face himself and Peter._

"_James!"_

"_I think Remus has left school."_

"_What? Why?"_

_Peter sat down. Who was going to do his Defence homework now? He felt a little faint._

"_I'll give you three guesses Sirius," snapped James. "You were a twat."_

_Sirius sighed. "Alright so maybe I was a little stupid but there's no reason for him to leave school. I told Snape to go there, _he_ didn't! It's Remus, come on. He was never going to hurt him."_

_James raised an eyebrow. "Yes, he's Remus and he's my best friend and I trust him with my life but you have to remember that when the moon's full he's _not_ Remus! He's _not_ our best friend! He doesn't know his own mind. He doesn't recognise Snape! He recognises blood and that's all he wants! In his own words, twelve days a year, he's a monster and we all forget that because when we're with him he's either Remus who's always so calm and collected or he's just a wolf because we're not human! He's still dangerous to everyone else and surely you knew that!" He paused and gasped for breath, his hazel eyes blazing. "Surely you knew that the fact that he could have killed Snape will haunt him for the rest of his life. Surely you knew that's what he'll think about in the dead of night. What if he _had_ killed him Sirius? What if I hadn't found out when I did? Did you think about what that would do to him, what it would _mean_ for him? I know you don't give a shit about Severus Snape but presumably you'd care if he killed _me_. Can you imagine how he would feel? No! Of _course_ you can't! It's not often I say this but I agree with Remus."_

_For a moment, James thought Sirius was going to hit him. In fact, he thought he was more likely to throw him out of the window and impale him on the turret but the blank stare in his grey eyes was deeper than anger. It was terror, and whilst James was relieved that his message had been received, it frightened him. He had never seen Sirius like this in all the years he'd known him._

"_Where is he?" asked Sirius, in the same manner that James had adopted when he had received the news._

"_I have no idea."_

_Peter stood up. "He's on the lawns."_

"_How do you know?"_

"_I can see him out of the window."_

"_How do you know it's Remus?" snapped Sirius. _

"_Who else plays with their fringe when they're nervous?"_

* * *

"_REMUS!"_

_Lupin turned just before he was almost thrown to the ground by the sheer bulk of Sirius who had failed to stop running at top speed when they were only meters apart._

"_Don'tyoudareleaveschoolorI'llkillyou!"_

_Lupin stared at him as though he had grown a second head. "Slow down."_

"_It's _me_ who's an absolute arse! It's _me_ who broke the rules! It's _me_ who's the almost murderer! Why the hell are _you_ leaving school?"_

"_It's for the best," said Lupin, staring out onto the horizon. "And then nothing like last night can ever happen again."_

"_I'm sorry Remus. I swear, it won't ever happen again."_

"_It doesn't matter now," replied Lupin in a quiet voice. "Apology accepted though," he added, a little brighter. _

"_Who put you up to this? Was it Evans?"_

"_Lily," Lupin corrected. "And no, she told me she would support me no matter my decision and my decision is to go home for the safety of everyone in this castle. Lily has accepted it. Professor Dumbledore has accepted it. Why can't _you_?"_

_Sirius gawped at him. "Don't you get it? That's woman-speak for 'You can't leave school you stupid arse!' I'm with Evans!"_

_Lupin rolled his eyes and waved at a figure walking towards in the same dawdling manner as Lupin usually did._

_The large but scrawny man could have been a future version of Lupin but with bright blue eyes. Ah, great._

"_Mr. Lupin," began Sirius, not entirely sure how this speech would turn out. "Sorry doesn't even cover it. Obviously I appreciate that the pair of you hate me and probably want me dead but-"_

_Behind his father, Lupin was making elaborate gestures to signal that neither his father nor anyone else knew the events of the previous night._

_John Lupin raised his eyebrows and turned to face his son whose renowned poker face did not betray him. _

"_Remus," said Sirius, staring at his friend and wishing that James and Peter, who were standing a few paces behind him, would bugger off. "If you leave, you'll never get a proper job or anything. You'll have to be a tramp. You're so good Remus, you're good in a way that I don't even class myself," he acknowledged Lupin's smirk and continued. "Why is it always you who has to lose out?"_

"_That's the most sensible thing I think you've ever said," said Lupin. "Dad? _Slight_ change of plan."_

_He was soon buried under the arms of his three friends, all of whom were relieved. Sirius felt less stupid, James less guilty and Peter was just glad that there was still someone friendly who actually did the work, to copy off._

_Lupin Sr. laughed to himself. "Remus, if you can hear me, I think you made the right decision."_

_A muffled "Thanks" was all the response he could decipher though he heard his son mutter what he thought was probably an apology._

_They eventually released him when his father had left the school and Peter realised he had left his sheet music in the Great Hall. He hurriedly made his excuses and half ran, half waddled away, much to the amusement of Sirius and James, the latter having been sensible enough to last him a lifetime._

"_Come on Moony, where's the camera?" asked James in a manner that could have been adopted had he been bullying money out of Lupin._

_Lupin opened his trunk and handed the much desired possession to James who signalled for his two friends to stand closer together. He was fairly sure that Sirius was about to burst into tears and wanted evidence. Pictorial evidence of Lupin's temper might also come in handy._

_CLICK!_

"_Remus, have you got a timer on this thing?"_

_CLICK!_

"_As lovely as your finger is James," Lupin told him, smiling now. "I don't want pictures of it. Take your hands off the lens."_


	40. In which James suffers

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A/N: Ooh, after this one there are only six chapters left…I think. I may need a recount. Also I know this is 1974 but I couldn't bring myself to delete the Prince gag.**

**For Dee, who requested this ages ago.**

"Okay what the hell is this?"

Sirius laughed. "That's your father with his arm round Snape."

"That's just…not right."

"Not a lot is right about the world at three in the morning," quipped Lupin.

Harry watched his father smirk and Snape struggle for freedom, almost tipping over the box and earning a reproachful glare from James. What the hell was in that box?

"We were in Care of Magical Creatures," said Sirius, taking a swig out of yet another bottle.

_1974_

"_God, I hate the first day back after Christmas," moaned James, making a face as the Marauders made their way to the patch of the school grounds that served as their classroom. _

"_I know," agreed Lupin. "It does take a bit of getting used to but by the end of the day, I'm always back into the swing of things."_

"_That's because you can keep up," protested Peter. _

_Sirius groaned his agreement and fought to keep his eyes open, something he did throughout the lesson that got on Professor Kettleburn's last nerve. By the time Sirius Black had yawned through his lesson, messed up his work plans and exploited Remus Lupin, he had annoyed everyone, especially James Potter._

"_Now," announced Kettleburn, upon their arrival. "I've assigned you all a little project for the new year. From now until Easter, you will all have to look after a magical creature; this class is, after all, about caring for them. They're a special surprise and I'm warning you that they can be very needy and they _do_ rely on you to look after them. They are like children. Yes class, you will be raising Flobberworms." If he was expecting gasps, he failed to receive them. He looked as though he was expecting a round of applause, the lack of which threw him a little. "Er…yes, and um…you will be partnered in alphabetical order. So that's er…Abbott and Black-"_

"_I've been thinking Professor," Sirius interrupted. "And you know how much Ernie hates me? Well, I thought I could work with Remus because he does double the work in half the time."_

_The red-headed Abbott nodded his approval and pushed his glasses further up his nose. It was bad enough having to work with Black in Potions three hours a week but to have to spend his time out of school hours with him…he shuddered to think._

"_Right," agreed Kettleburn. "If that's alright with Mr. Lupin then I think it can be arranged."_

_Lupin had visibly deflated. He frowned slightly, looking across at Anna Lovett, with whom he was always paired when they were placed in alphabetical order. He had been anticipating four months of her company. He couldn't tell Sirius to ask someone else. He smiled at his friend and nodded._

"_Good," said Kettleburn, clearing his throat. "Well Mr. Abbot if you'd like to work with…er…Miss Lovett then we needn't completely destroy my pairs need we? That leaves Mr. Pettigrew with Mr. McCormack and Mr. Potter with Mr. Snape."_

_James's head shot up. He always worked with Peter. No way was he raising a baby with Snape!_

"_I work with Peter," he protested. "I've _always_ worked with Peter!"_

"_Yes," snapped Kettleburn. "But usually Mr. McCormack works with Miss McDonald and she is currently absent so she can work alone. Now, I want everyone to chose their Flobberworm, take a box and then they may assign dates and times for caring for their Flobberworm. Off you go."_

_A muscle jumped in James's jaw. Snape! Of all bloody people he had to work with Snivellus! And on top of that, Remus and Sirius were almost doubled up with laughter. To give him his dues, at least Remus looked embarrassed to have been caught._

"_Right," said James, refusing to look his partner in the eye. "I'll get the worm. You get the box and then we'll try and sort this so we have to see each other as little as possible."_

"_I want the best looking one," Sirius told him in the line. "Then I can at least try and pass it off as my own."_

"_I think it says more about you," quipped Lupin, joining them and trying not to hit people with the box he had grabbed. "You know, if you think you look like a Flobberworm."_

"_It's your baby too," mocked Sirius. "You don't want it to be ugly, do you?"_

_Watching Lupin and Sirius laugh and pick their Flobberworm based on what their conflicting tastes found attractive, James had rarely been more jealous. Why couldn't he have asked for Lupin? Why couldn't he and Sirius have worked together? Alright, so the baby Flobberworm would be dead within a matter of days but at least they would have fun. Nobody _else _would have but they would have found it hilarious. It would be the first Marauder baby._

_Snape's clipped drawl brought him out of fantasyland. Shit. He'd missed it. It was bound to be something important._

"_Sorry, I was in my happy place. What did you say?"_

"_I said that I can't do Tuesdays so you'll have to do it then."_

"_Fine."_

"_Fine."_

"_Fine."_

"_If you don't stop repeating everything I say, I'll shove that broomstick up your arse!"_

_Now there was an idea! _

"_If you don't stop repeat-"_

"_Shut up Potter!"_

"_Shut up Pot-"_

"_Screw you."_

"_Ommmm."_

"_What are you, six?"_

"_And that's just inches longer than you."_

_Snape smirked. "If we're talking about the one on your head-"_

"_Ooh," laughed James. He smiled to himself. He had found a much better way to rile Severus Snape and the others would find it so funny. Where were they? Where the hell was Lupin when he needed him? He leant into the box and prodded their Flobberworm into action. "What are we going to call him, Sevykins?"_

_Snape made a face and hissed. "Funny."_

"_I'm not calling the baby Funny, Sevy."_

"_Stop calling me that!"_

_James grinned. This was so good. "I think I'll call him Gordon. He looks like a Gordon, doesn't he? Gordon James Potter, after his daddy. Oh Gordy, I've forgotten to give you a name from mummy's side of the family."_

_Snape made a noise that suggested he had been presented with a pile of rotting flesh. "I hope you're not referring to me, Potter."_

"_What's it you call yourself? The half-crud Prince?"_

_Silence._

"_I know!" cried James. "We'll call you the Flobberworm formerly known as Prince. Hey Loopsical!"_

_A few yards away, Lupin tried not to blush. This referring to him as Loops and then adding a few interesting letters onto the end of it, had to stop. They could bloody well call him Moony from now on. They referred to him as it in private anyway and he was sure everyone else had picked up on it._

"_What, Potter?"_

_James grinned. "We want a family picture."_

"_Come on," said Sirius, dragging Lupin towards James. "This is going to be classic. Get the camera out ready."_

_James laughed. "Come on mummy, hold Gordy still." He wrapped an arm around Snape and Sirius barely managed to remain standing as Snape struggled away._

_CLICK!_

"_Lily's going to be so mad at you," laughed Sirius, not sure which of them he was referring to._

_Lupin thrust the camera at him. "_You_ took it, okay? She can't hate you any more than she already does Sirius."_

1995

"I can't believe you talked me into taking the rap for you," Sirius laughed.

Lupin shrugged. "That's why I'm the man who can…what was it you said Sirius?"

"Remus Lupin; the only man who can talk his way out of a room with no doors."

Lupin laughed. "Oh yeah. Hey, isn't that our Flobberworm box?"

Harry cried out and dropped it as though Lupin had identified it as a bomb. Lupin and Sirius burst into hysterical laughter.

"That was a good one, Loopsical."

"I meant it you know," warned Lupin. "If you carry on, I really will feed you to the Flobberworm."

Neither of them noticed Harry's concerned frown as he stared at his father.


	41. In which James gets amorous

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

"What's up?" Sirius asked, finally catching sight of his godson's frown. "You look like I feel."

Lupin rolled his eyes but gave Harry a concerned glance and sighed in understanding. "Harry, he was riled."

Harry, finally able to look him in the eyes, threw Lupin a look that screamed dubiousness.

"He _was_. I mean, Sirius here was all for pointing and laughing whenever possible-"

Sirius shrugged and nodded. "But in my defence, Snape made it all too easy. He was the sort of boy who was born to be laughed at. He could have washed his hair and made himself look a bit more presentable. If he had been a bit nicer, I wouldn't have done it. You know what he did, Harry. You know what he did to Remus."

Lupin raised his eyebrows at such blatant emotional blackmail that Sirius had become the master of. "It doesn't matter what he did to me. You'd been bullying him for seven years prior to that so you can leave my name out of this. _James_, Harry, was a little mellower. It took a lot to get to him but Snape pushed him to his limits more than was strictly necessary. I have my suspicions as to why, which incidentally I will _not_ be sharing with _either_ of you, and James was well within his rights to do something about it. He reacted badly but when we were thirteen, it was funny."

Harry glared at him. "_I_ didn't find stuff like that funny when I was thirteen."

"And I'm shocked that I ever did," said Lupin, in absolute earnest. "And I'm sure, so is Sirius."

Knowing it was what was expected of him, Sirius nodded. "Oh yeah, shocked."

"And disgusted with myself," Lupin added, shooting Sirius a glare that warned him he was laying it on too thickly.

"Disgusted," repeated Sirius, shaking his head and trying not to laugh.

"I think about it all the time,"

"All the time," seconded Sirius, in a voice thick with false regret. He was rather proud of this performance. He was even beginning to convince himself. Perhaps tears would be a good idea.

"And I'm amazed that Severus was so willing to forgive me,"

Harry scoffed. "Snape? Forgiveness? Yeah; sure."

"Amazed."

"Sirius!"

"Sorry."

"But don't think badly of your father Harry. He only ever retaliated," lied Lupin. It was surely better not to shatter the boy's illusions. He need never know. "And he was my best friend. Words can't even express how grateful I am to James. Sirius will probably tell you he was good in a manner in which he does not even class himself-"

"Oh shut up, Remus."

"Sorry," murmured Harry. "I didn't mean to make it sound like I was getting at you."

"I understand," Lupin assured him. "James made it very easy to hero-worship him. Therein lay his mistake." Lupin bit his lip and Sirius stared out of the window, despite there being nothing to see in the darkness. "But we won't talk about that now. It's Christmas at the end of the day, so we're going to talk about being young; young and stupid."

Lupin kneeled in amongst the pile of photographs that littered the floor. He handed Harry a photograph that depicted the four boys, standing around a large, deep hole in the grounds. Lupin and Sirius were in peels of laughter. James grinned, unquestionably proud of himself and pleased with his efforts. Lupin however, had moments of doubt before laughing with Sirius and shared worried glances with a twitching Pettigrew.

"What the hell?" laughed Harry, noting the shovels his father and Sirius leaned on.

"I think," said Sirius, handing Harry another picture. "You'll have to see this one first."

Lupin groaned. "Does he really have to? Harry, you know when I said 'young and stupid', I really meant it, okay? I don't do that kind of thing now and I'll bet that he's going to make half of this up."

"Will not."

"Will too."

_November 18__th__ 1976_

_Sirius shook the third bottle of Firewhiskey and laughed at James's expression of envy. _

"_Yeah alright," said James, rolling his eyes. "So you're legal, big deal."_

_Lupin made no comment but reached for the bottle and fell off his bed, much to the amusement of James and Sirius who laughed ridiculously hard as their friend began to sing, face down on the floorboards and unable to move._

"_Do you think we should pick him up?" asked Peter, the only non-drinker._

"_No!" scoffed Sirius. "It's his own bloody fault, isn't it Moony?"_

_CLICK!_

_Moony moaned and rolled onto his back, still humming a song that Peter had never heard. Sirius and James shared amused glances before pulling Lupin onto the bed with them and letting him lean against James to remain upright._

"_Jesus," hissed James. "For a man with the body of a stick-insect, he is so bloody heavy."_

"_That's because he's dead weight," said Peter._

"_Gi's somor," slurred Lupin, mumbling into James's shoulder and holding his hand out for the bottle._

"_You are not serious," cried James, outraged as Sirius gave Lupin the bottle and allowed him to take several large swigs out of it._

"_Why not?" asked Sirius, following Lupin's lead. "We've got loads of the stuff."_

"_He'll be dead by the end of the night," protested James. _

"_Hey," said Sirius, shrugging. "You're the one who wanted some help to ensnare Evans and no way is he going to help you when he's sober so I willingly offered you the use of my birthday. This is the thanks I get, huh?"_

"_You want Evans," said Lupin, sitting up, his eyes wide and bloodshot. It was a statement, not a question._

"_Yes Loop, I want Evans."_

"_Well," whispered Lupin, in what he may have thought was a manner befitting conspirators, but was in fact a stage whisper that even Peter, on the other side of the room, could hear. "In my experience, nothing says 'I love you' like a freshly dug well."_

_Peter laughed nervously as James and Sirius shared a jubilant look. They had found the answer! James would dig her a well!_

"_And," whispered Lupin; leaning in and muttering something in James's ear before falling back onto Sirius's pillows._

"_What did he say?" asked Sirius, his eyebrows rose as though this was a matter of great urgency._

_James frowned in confusion. "He said, 'I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's. His hair was perfect'."_

_Sirius raised one eyebrow. "He really is one of a kind. Oh well, bedtime. We've got a lot of digging to do in the morning. Lupin! Get off my bed!"_

_James laughed as Lupin rolled off and hobbled into the bathroom. He realised this was not his bed and exited, bemused and a little lost before spotting a free space. James did not laugh quite so hard when Lupin curled up next to him._

"_Remus, your bed is on the left."_

_Lupin didn't move. He groaned and mumbled, "But _this_ bed is warm."_

_James sighed and permitted him to sleep there for the night._

"_Aww Jamie, I love you."_

_Sirius snorted, said snort exploded into peels of laughter as Lupin burst into Bohemian Rhapsody in an assortment of voices. He had always been a superb mimic and was currently doing a perfect imitation of Peter._

"_Easy come, easy go, will you let me go? Bismillah! No, we will not let you go. Let him go Bismillah! We will not let you go. Let him go Bismillah! We will not let you go."_

"_If you're going to sing Moony, you can fuck off."_

1995

"I am ashamed to say, you were true to your word Padfoot."

"But," said Sirius; watching Harry gasp for breath between his bursts of laughter at the very image of Lupin even contemplating drinking. "The best is yet to come."

_November 19__th__ 1976_

"_This looks like a nice spot."_

_Lupin ran to keep up with his friend, who was striding across the lawns, shovel on his shoulders. "James! James! I was absolutely off it! Seriously, don't listen to a word I said. 'Nothing says I love you like a freshly dug well' was on an advert I saw for a charity! It does not apply to Lily!"_

_James ignored him. "No Moons, I think you hit on something last night."_

"_Yeah," agreed Sirius. "He hit on _you_."_

_Lupin blushed. "I am so sorry."_

"_Not a problem Moony, I was flattered. Scared shitless, but flattered."_

"_Yeah," laughed Sirius. "If it wasn't for his mooning, like what I did there?, over Fat Annie, I'd have been scared too."_

"_Oh shut up, Sirius!"_

"_You know you _Lovett_."_

_Sirius and Peter laughed. James was too busy digging with what looked like a shovel he had begged, borrowed or stolen from Hagrid. _

_Lupin was unimpressed. He narrowed his eyes and smirked. "I'm going to wait until he's dug it to about eight feet under and then I'm going to push you in."_

"_Not if I push you in first."_

_Two hours later, eight feet had been achieved and they had hit water level. James whooped with joy. Lupin, who had disappeared off to the library after ten minutes because he claimed that he could not bear to watch, nudged Peter and smiled at him._

"_I'm back." _

"_Thank Merlin for that! I've been told to keep an eye out for Filch and I can't cover all areas. Why is it always _me_ who gets the crap jobs? I'm just a lookout."_

_Lupin stared, open-mouthed. "You're not just a lookout, Wormy. You're a _bad _lookout."_

_Argus Filch had not even fully approached before he was screaming "WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE?!" at the top of his voice._

_James and Sirius failed to worry themselves over this. This was when Remus really came into his own._

"_Ah, Mr. Filch, it's complicated, you see…"_

_Such a shout was the reason for Lily's arrival and needless to say, this was not how James had imagined the grand unveiling of 'Lake Lily'. _

"_Oh my God!"_

"_Hey Evans! I dug you a well!"_

_Lily turned a brilliant crimson and turned to Filch, fear in her eyes. "I had nothing to do with this."_

_Lupin cleared his throat. "It's alright Mr. Filch, as a Prefect, I had just arrived to bestow detention. I have this covered and will duly report it to their Head of House."_

_Filch knew that he would do no such thing but could do very little about it. He regularly cursed the day that Dumbledore had made Remus Lupin a Prefect. He hobbled away, calling for his cat to follow, muttering to himself._

_Lily peered into the well and pursed her lips. "You're lucky you have Lupin but if you think you have gotten away with this then you have quite another think coming. You will spend Friday evening, with myself, in detention and don't get any ideas."_

"_Sure Evans," said James, winking at her. "It's a date."_

_She threw him a look that made even Sirius recoil and turned to Lupin. She smiled and wished him a good morning. _

"_This is entirely my fault," he confessed. "It was Sirius's birthday yesterday and I had a bit to drink."_

"_A _lot_ more like."_

"_Yeah alright Pete, I had a lot to drink. I somehow gave him the idea that you would love him if he dug you a well. I can only apologise."_

_Lily smiled. "It's alright. If he had any sense, he wouldn't have actually done it, would he? I'll see you later. I'll wait for you in the Common Room."_

_Lupin waited for the torrent of abuse and questions that would come with Lily's departure. He leaned in to James's attempted love token, and pulled the love-struck idiot out._

"_What are you doing tonight then?"_

"_James, it's Prefect duty, not a date. Don't be mad at me."_

"_Mad at you? You're joking, right?"_

_Lupin stared at him. "Well, no."_

"_Why would I be mad at you? You just got me an hour with Evans."_

_Lupin grinned. "Fair enough."_

_"Come on," said James, grinning cheerfully. "Photo time."_

_Lupin rolled his eyes but pulled out his camera._

_CLICK!_


	42. In which Lupin is sacrificed

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A.N; The last one before Christmas, hence the update on all my stories, so reviews are especially appreciated and I will obviously update this before the New Year, probably the 27****th****. This leads on from Chapter 29, by the way. ****Colin McCormack (or his real-life equivalent) has been annoying me so this is my revenge.**

**Oh and J.K. says that James was a Chaser so I'm going with that, apologies if that's been misheard.**

"You played Keeper?" Harry watched Lupin, broomstick on his shoulders, troop across the field, dragged by James whose grip on Lupin's elbow appeared to be the reason for his strained smile. Lupin's wide eyes were jet black with fear and anger. Sirius beamed as he latched the helmet onto his friend's head, no mean feat when Lupin was jerking around, trying to escape James.

Lupin glared darkly at Sirius. "Once," he muttered. "Which may have led to an entire season."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "He won't tell you that he was any good but he was one of the best. Although, once he was on a broomstick and a couple of feet in the air, he could get quite aggressive. I always said he should take over as Beater and give me a break."

Lupin smiled sarcastically. "Not that I'm not grateful for the events that led to it but I didn't sign up for it, did I?"

Sirius shrugged. "She ditched him, didn't she?"

"That is so off the point that they're on different metaphorical continents."

Harry cleared his throat. "Would someone please explain what the hell you pair are on about?"

Sirius grinned, the glint in his eyes worrying Lupin more than words could say.

_1975_

"_Col! Quaffle!"_

_Colin McCormack swung round and immediately James closed his eyes and tried to ignore the sound of Sirius's Bludger as it whistled past him and the consequent crack, scream and thud as Colin landed awkwardly, thirty feet below them._

"_Shit! Did I say Quaffle? I meant Bludger! I always get those two confused."_

_As soon as Colin had been carted off to Madame Pomfrey and the team had been dismissed, Sirius Black found himself waiting in pouring rain for Maguire, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain and fellow Beater._

"_We're going to catch pneumonia," James warned him, pulling up the hood of his robes._

"_If he wasn't such a vain git then we could be in by now."_

_Unfortunately for Sirius, Maguire was halfway out of the changing room. "Oh really?"_

_Sirius jumped and glared at James who shrugged. "I didn't see him either!"_

"_You're bloody lucky I'm not throwing you off the team."_

_Sirius smirked. "You wouldn't though, would you? I'm the only decent Beater you've got."_

_This clearly did not endear him to Maguire who looked at him as though he were scum. "Right that's it!"_

"_It's alright. We know a Keeper!"_

_Sirius stared at James, raising a dubious eyebrow. _

"_You do realise that the match is tomorrow!"_

_Sirius smirked. "Really? You don't say. I knew there was somewhere I was supposed to be."_

"_Don't push your luck, Black!"_

_Even James was glaring at him now. _

"_And you'd better not be pissing about Potter because I've had it up to here with the pair of you. Frankly, this is your last warning. You'd be off the bloody team if I had time to replace you. Who's your Keeper?"_

"_Remus Lupin," replied James, unfazed. _

"_You're kidding me, right?"_

_James shook his head. Both Maguire and Sirius were staring at him as though he had completely lost his mind. He refused to step down, staring back and smiling to himself._

"_Lupin? The oddball you hang around with?"_

_James took this as a personal insult._

"_No," Sirius corrected. "The oddball is Peter. Remus is the one with the badly behaved rabbit."_

"_We call it his 'furry little problem'."_

_Sirius nodded. "She bites like a bitch."_

_Maguire nodded slowly in recognition. "No way."_

_James shrugged. "Okay then. Find one yourself but I'm telling you, he played against me as Chaser for two hours last Christmas and I only scored three times. Not even Sirius could hit him."_

_Maguire smirked. "That's probably for the best. I haven't got time tonight but I want to see him first thing tomorrow morning. Now bugger off before I change my mind."_

_As soon as they were round the corner and out of earshot, James turned on Sirius. "What the hell were you doing? You're off your head!"_

"_I told you I'd kill him."_

"_Sirius, you hit him in the face with a Bludger. You very nearly _did_ kill him!"_

_Sirius shrugged. "He's an arsehole anyway. Lovett's only seeing him so she can say she's got a boyfriend. He was horrible to Remus' mother."_

"_You're only saying that because you fancy her. Besides, Moony dealt with it. He probably shouldn't have hexed him to high heaven in the Charms corridor but at least he didn't make an attempt on his life."_

_Sirius scoffed. "He was never going to die from it. I didn't hit it hard enough. Next time-"_

"_Sirius!"_

_Sirius laughed. "Nice one back there, by the way. I didn't think of asking Moony."_

"_It's not a matter of asking him anymore," said James. "He's _got_ to do it. Oh, and Sirius?"_

_Sirius turned to face his friend, his amusement still evident in his eyes._

"_Much as I love Remus and all, I don't want to get kicked off the Quidditch team for him!"_

_So engrossed were they in their almost mock argument, they failed to hear the footsteps behind them._

"_Why would you get kicked off the team for me?"_

_Sirius smiled. "I knew I could smell chocolate."_

_James grinned and tried to sound off-hand. "Hello Remus, we were wondering if you'd do us a massive favour."_

_Lupin raised his eyebrows. "I wondered why you weren't referring to me as Loopy. What is it?"_

"_Play Keeper tomorrow."_

"_Nice one Sirius!" snapped James. "I was going to go for the old standby of 'Remember how much fun last Christmas was?'."_

_Lupin snorted. "Absolutely no way in hell. You've got a Keeper."_

"_Er…not anymore we haven't," stammered Sirius, loathe to tell Lupin he had smashed Colin McCormack's face with a large, cannon-like ball because McCormack had made several remarks about Lupin's Muggle mother and happened to be dating the girl his friend claimed to be the love of his life. _

"_Yeah, Sirius knocked him off his broom."_

_Lupin rolled his eyes. "What did you do, break his arm? It'll be fixed in about ten minutes."_

"_No Moons, he broke his _face_."_

_Lupin rubbed his temples. "Oh, Jesus Christ!"_

"_Thing is," began Sirius, hoping to catch Lupin's eye and widen his silver eyes, perhaps bat his eyelashes a little. People were suckers for the Black family's eyes. "That Maguire has got it in for me anyway and if you don't do this Moony, I could be kicked off the team."_

"_Serves you right."_

"_And so could James."_

_James nodded, his outrage was obvious. "Can you believe it?"_

_Lupin laughed bitterly. "No, it's absolutely incredible and if it was anyone else, I would think they were joking."_

"_Come on Moony, we're your friends."_

_It was a low trick and even James was disgusted by the emotional blackmail involved but he could see Lupin's resolve wavering. It was for the greater good._

"_Yeah Moons, and friends stick together, right?"_

_Lupin sighed. "Alright."_

* * *

_It was ridiculously early. Thank Merlin it was a Saturday and he could go back to sleep. Remus Lupin turned over, pulling the duvet up to his chin, and screamed. At the foot of his bed sat Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black and James Potter, all staring at him._

"_Come on Moony, wakey, wakey!"_

_Lupin groaned. It was _that_ Saturday._

_CLICK!_

"_Peter, what is it with you and my camera? Stop taking pictures of me in bed."_

_Sirius wolf whistled and wiggled his eyebrows. Lupin kicked him from under the duvet._

"_Ouch! Moons, what was that for?"_

"_For making me sacrifice myself on the alter of dignity."_

"_That sounds so gay."_

_Lupin raised his eyebrows. "Need I remind you that you are in no position to question my sexuality this morning?"_

_James laughed. "Hey, I brought you breakfast Toast and marmalade; your fave."_

"_I don't think I can stomach it. Where's Maguire then?"_

_Lupin grabbed a piece of black elastic, (commonly known as a bobble but he was not about to refer to it as that) borrowed from Anna who had been less than impressed, and pinned his long auburn hair back. _

"_What?" asked Sirius, laughing. "You thought he was going to come and visit you in bed, did you?"_

"_No," replied Lupin, smirking. "I was wondering where I had to go."_

"_And bear in mind," warned Sirius. "That I've been playing on his team with him for the past three years and he refuses to even acknowledge my presence."_

_Behind him, James nodded. The Maguire they knew was just the sort of person who irritated Lupin beyond words. This would be hilarious._

"_Great," muttered Lupin, taking a piece of toast from the pile on a napkin in James' hand. _

_When he found Maguire, the Captain was pacing around the pitch, already changed into scarlet and gold robes and dragging his broom around with him. He was biting his nails and his bright blue eyes clashed horrifically with his pink eyelids, a result of little sleep. _

"_Wotcher."_

_Maguire jumped. "You're the Keeper then, are you?"_

_Lupin nodded. _

"_You any good?"_

_Lupin shrugged. "James obviously thinks so since he dragged me kicking and screaming into this."_

_There was nothing Maguire could say to that and so he instructed Lupin to follow him round the pitch while he talked him through his strategy. Lupin nodded and seemed to understand. _

"_Right, best go and get your kit on then."_

* * *

"_I'm not sure this is such a good idea."_

_James frowned. "Oh no, you're not running out on us now. It's only because you've seen the crowd."_

_Lupin nodded. "And if I can't stop the Quaffle, they'll slaughter me."_

"_Loop, if you can't stop the Quaffle, Maguire will slaughter us," said Sirius, buckling Lupin's shoulder guards. "So just stop the Quaffle, okay?"_

_Lupin's doubts failed to reassure Maguire who continued to shoot James filthy looks that told him he was about to play his last match._

_He took hold of Lupin's elbow, just about managing to grip it through the elbow pads, and frogmarched him to the door. "Right, just concentrate and you'll be fine. I've seen you play and I wouldn't have suggested you if I thought you were shit, would I?"_

_Lupin shook his head, wishing he had not eaten the toast._

"_Oi! Fruit-Loop! You forgot your helmet!"_

_Sirius grinned and threw it at his friend who caught it with a deft ease. James returned Maguire's smile and breathed a sigh of relief. "Ready?"_

"_No!"_

"_Come on then."_

_Lupin's eyes widened as the sunlight shone into them. He could see the crowd screaming. Why couldn't he hear them? He felt sick. He wanted to go back to bed. Looking up, he caught sight of Peter with his camera. He was vaguely aware of Sirius' long fingers struggling with the strap as James dragged him across the pitch. _

_CLICK!_

_He was going to kill Peter if he survived this match._


	43. In which Sirius is antagonised

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A.N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I'm honestly over-whelmed by the response.**

The next photograph was not unlike the first. Lupin was lying in bed, the covers pulled up to his chin, Sirius and James lay beside Lupin, their arms around him whilst he struggled slightly.

"I can't believe you put up with me," Lupin mused aloud. "I mean, I was a pain in the arse."

Sirius laughed. "Why are you using past tense? You're always grumpy around the full moon."

Lupin smiled faintly. "Never _that_ grumpy."

Sirius turned to his godson and handed him the picture. "Our dear friend Remus had been acting very oddly of late and so I persuaded your father to interview him with me in the wee small hours of the morning. We almost gave Moony a heart attack, didn't we Moons?"

_1976_

"_Happy Birthday then," snapped Sirius, begrudgingly. He rarely missed the love of his family but it was difficult not to when his brother was flaunting it in his face._

"_Mum bought me a Firebolt."_

"_Good for you."_

_Regulus smirked. "So you won't be able to victimise me now, will you? You'll hardly be able to see me."_

_It was Sirius' turn to feel smug. "Me and my Cleansweep have worked bigger miracles. Don't count yourself safe just yet."_

"_Don't you threaten me!"_

"_Oh I won't threaten you, Regulus," said his brother, giving him a strained smile. "I'll flatten you."_

_And for a moment, Regulus Black honestly thought that he would be beaten to a pulp. Thankfully, he heard footsteps and smiled to himself. _

"_Sirius, is that a raised arm?"_

_Sirius hurriedly backtracked. The two other young men could almost hear the cogs of his brain working. He punched the air, stopping only centimetres from his brother's face._

"_No, I'm just doing my lunges."_

_Remus Lupin raised an eyebrow. "You're not fooling anyone, least of all, yourself." He smiled faintly at his friend and turned to said friend's brother. "Since I won't get any sense out of him, what the hell's going on?"_

"_Nothing," snapped the other Black. _

"_Don't speak to him like that!"_

"_Sirius, leave it," warned Lupin. He turned to the younger boy and flicked his badge. "Unfortunately for you, I'm a Prefect so if you don't want detention, shut your trap!"_

_Regulus narrowed his eyes. "I'm not afraid of you,"_

"_You bloody well should be," snapped Lupin, his eyes wide with a foreign emotion that Sirius couldn't name. _

"_Is that a threat?"_

"_No," answered Lupin, grinning in a manner befitting the wolf within. "Consider it a promise. Come on," he added, pushing Sirius down the corridor. "Is he paranoid? Every time I see him, he's asking people if they're threatening him."_

_Sirius did not reply and glanced behind him before pushing Lupin into an empty classroom and slowly closing the door behind them. He muttered a silencing charm and turned to his friend who was leaning against a desk and staring at him._

"_Alright," said Sirius, his tone more serious than Lupin had ever before heard it. He was calm as opposed to wild with rage, his usual emotion of choice for such a tone. "What the hell is going on with you?"_

_Lupin raised his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"_

"_I'm talking about back there."_

"_Some people might just be grateful and leave it at that."_

_Sirius rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm grateful. Thanks for stopping me breaking his nose but I want to know where you've been and what's made you like this. You're angry. I know you're angry and the absence of your temper is the stuff of legend. Are you going to tell me or not?"_

"_No."_

_Sirius sighed impatiently. "Suit yourself."_

_Lupin sat on the desk. "Stop over-analysing everything."_

"_Bet you never thought you'd say that to me."_

_Silence._

_Sirius closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He would remain calm. Remus Lupin was infuriating him, almost as much as he used to. He opened his eyes and tried to smile. It didn't reach his eyes and Lupin raised an eyebrow._

"_Where have you been?"_

_Lupin sighed. "I went home last night."_

_Sirius frowned. This was almost as intriguing and mysterious as his friend's furry little problem had been? "Why?"_

"_My dad's ill, really ill."_

"_That's the same excuse you used to use. It didn't work then and it's certainly not working now."_

_Sirius realised too late that Lupin had been serious. His head had dropped and he averted his eyes. It took a moment for the words to sink in but having done so, they had clearly offended him. His black eyes shone with fury. _

"_Just leave me alone, alright?!"_

_Sirius stared at Lupin's back as he stormed out. He was screwed now. There was no way Lupin would hear him out so that he could apologise. He would need a charismatic fast-talker who knew how to talk Lupin round. Great, except he didn't know anyone like that. His best bet was James Potter and even then, at a push._

* * *

"_Prongsie!"_

_James looked up from his Charms homework and smiled. "Alright? I haven't seen you all day. Where've you been? It's been so boring without you."_

_Sirius grinned. Remembering why he was there, he became suddenly sober. "James, I think I really pissed off Remus."_

_James laughed. "That's impossible. Now, next full moon, I thought we could get into Honeydukes before the moon rises and then I'll run back with the stuff and meet you in the forest. Just as long as you can keep Moony away from the outskirts, I'll have time to change so no worries."_

_Sirius was vaguely aware of his friend's words. He managed to get the gist of the plan. "Okay, okay. Look, you've got to talk to him for me."_

"_Why? What did you do?"_

_James groaned when the truth came out. Sirius glared at him._

"_Thanks James, I suddenly feel loads better."_

"_Pad, what the hell do you want me to do about it? There's nothing I can say."_

"_Just try!"_

* * *

_The whispering continued until well after midnight and eventually, Lupin drowned them out enough to fall into a fitful sleep._

_As Sirius climbed through the curtains and positioned himself, propping himself up with one of his pillows, he was reminded of a small child. Lupin slept in the foetal position. His sandy hair made him appear almost as a Cherub and his long eyelashes fluttered as he woke to find James making himself comfortable on the right hand side of the bed._

"_AHHHHHHHH!"_

"_Chill out, Moons!"_

"_What the hell?" he croaked, using his elbow to rest his weight._

"_We're worried about you," answered James. "You told Padfoot not to over-analyse so what do you think he's been doing all afternoon?"_

_Lupin smiled faintly. "Merlin, I am so sorry Sirius."_

"_Forget it," replied Sirius. "I was an idiot."_

"_So what's going on?" asked James. "I appear to be the only one who hasn't got a clue. We tried to wake Wormy but we might as well have tried to wake a brick wall."_

_Lupin smiled. "It's just…I don't know what I'd do without my dad and last night he told me about what happened to…you know, to make me…like this."_

_They fell into an awkward silence. Sirius and James shared a look of understanding. _

"_That's why I've been worked up all day," Lupin told them. "Have either of you heard of Fenrir Greyback?"_

"_No fucking way," hissed Sirius, staring at James whose intake of breath was more of a gasp._

_Lupin pulled down the band t-shirt he wore to bed and revealed tooth marks that would be forever indented in his skin. They were so faint that James had to lean in close to make them out and Sirius couldn't see them at all. The ugly, purple scars that Lupin had inflicted upon himself in the early years were only too plain to see and both his friends averted their eyes._

_Whatever Lupin was about to say, it was clearly taking a great deal of effort to form the words. Eventually he whispered, "I was lured out of that house. My father asked what had possessed me to leave in the middle of the night and I honestly couldn't answer him. I was so sure I had seen something from my window, you know, I don't even remember what. You know that my dad works for the Werewolf Capture Unit, don't you?" He waited for James and Sirius to nod their acknowledgement. "Well, he won't tell me what he said to Greyback but he made a remark that is apparently highly offensive and as a result, Greyback made sure I was infected at the next full moon." His voice cracked. "And I always thought that whoever had done this to me hadn't been in their right mind. I thought that it was my fault. I could never tell my parents that obviously, it would have killed my father. I actually pitied the poor bastard who did this to me because I could never even comprehend that someone would infect a six year old child deliberately. I still can't get my head round it. Yesterday night, everything that I thought to be true was turned on its head. I'm a monster. I'm a werewolf. Greyback rips the throats from people even when the moon isn't full. What am I supposed to think of myself now?"_

_The silence was bone-chilling. James shivered involuntarily. _

"_And earlier today, I realised I had threatened your brother. When I told him that he ought to be afraid of me, I wasn't talking about the fact that I wear a shiny badge that I can flick in his face. I meant that he should be afraid of what I become because he doesn't know what I could do to him."_

"_You're not Greyback, Remus," Sirius assured him in barely a whisper. "I wouldn't let you do anything like that to my brother anyway. You're too good a friend to me to waste on people like him."_

_James shook his head. "Whatever you may think of yourself, you are not evil. What Greyback does is disgusting. You go out of your way to make sure stuff like that never happens to the people you meet."_

"_Besides," said Sirius, smiling encouragingly. "You didn't threaten Regulus, you warned him off. They're a whole different box of frogs."_

_James nodded. "If we thought you were capable of that, do you think we'd call you our best friend? Do you think we'd hang round with you on the full moon if we thought you planned to rip out our throats?"_

"_Don't even make light of it, James," warned Lupin._

"_I'm not. I'm just saying is all." James grinned. "Come on, group hug."_

"_What is it with you and group hugs?" asked Lupin, prior to being drowned out by the arms around him._

"_They're good for moral," James insisted._

_CLICK!_

"_Oh great and now Peter's got a bloody photograph," muttered Lupin. "Is this the most embarrassing moment of my life?"_

"_Well," began Sirius._

"_Don't even think about it," warned Lupin._

"_Or what?"_

_Lupin snapped his jaws and all three burst into laughter, much to Peter's concern. What the hell had been that funny?_

"_Er…chaps?"_

"_Come on Pete!" cried James, grabbing Peter's wrist. "Group hugs!"_

_Peter cried out as he was dragged into a pile of laughing fools._

"_Okay," murmured Lupin. "I was wrong. _This_ is the most embarrassing moment of my life."_

_Peter's agreement was muffled but heartfelt. "I feel violated," he said eventually, removing Sirius' arms from around him._

_CLICK!_

_James laughed. "Sorry Pete, I thought it was about time I got revenge after all these years."_

"_I think it's about time I actually got to use my own camera," muttered Lupin, rolling his eyes._


	44. In which Peter passes

**Disclaimer: See Prologue  
****A.N.: I really don't want to end this because it's actually a lot of fun to flick through photographs of my friends and set the story behind the picture in this world of J.K's (Incidentally, my friends do know I've written this and refuse to have photograph's taken with me these days) and so, there are now six chapters (after this one) because I can't bear this to be the last photograph.**

"Half past four," muttered Lupin, fighting to keep his eyes open. "I don't suppose there's any point going to bed tonight."

Sirius shook his head. "No way! It's been years since I've stayed up all night and been able to actually _enjoy_ myself. Hey Harry! Take a look at this one."

Lupin groaned as Harry took the offered photograph and laughed, looking to Lupin who refused to meet his eye.

"What were you doing?"

"We'd just had our O.W.L. results," explained Lupin. "And Peter had been thrilled to pass something, your father and Padfoot had obviously passed everything with Es or Os-"

"And Moony was just chuffed to have passed Potions," laughed Sirius. "What was it Slughorn said you'd get?"

Lupin smirked. "He told me I would be lucky to get a T."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "_You_?"

Sirius grinned. "Yeah, unbelievable isn't it? Peter actually had to help him in Potions lessons. Peter!"

Even Lupin laughed, for which Sirius was grateful. That man could get seriously crabby.

"I tried to get in his good books," said Lupin. "I got him a box of crystallised pineapple for Christmas one year."

Sirius sniggered to himself. "It probably would have worked if me and Prongs hadn't spiked it with laxative."

"So why were you dancing down the stairs?"

_1976_

"_Boys!"_

_Lupin rolled his eyes. "Mum, I told you not to come in here."_

"_Morning Mrs. L!" cried Sirius, leaping out of bed and giving her a winning smile. "You're looking lovely as usual."_

_A muscle in Lupin's jaw jumped. "Sirius, my father is bigger than you. Do yourself a favour and stop making remarks like that."_

"_Which reminds me," said Sirius, still grinning inanely at Lupin's mother. "How is Mr. L? How's the marriage thing going?"_

_Mrs. Lupin, at a mere seventeen years his senior and sharing only her son's eyes in appearance, was fair game to Sirius who regularly claimed that she was the prettiest woman he had ever met. The fact that, as a Muggle, their getting together would probably give his mother a heart attack obviously had nothing to do with his obsession._

"_Oh, John's bringing the envelopes up."_

_At which, as though taking a cue, John Lupin handed his son an envelope and smiled apologetically as Remus realised it had already been opened._

"_Mum! Stop opening my mail! I'll be down in a minute!"_

"_She can stay if she wants," protested Sirius, winking._

_John raised an eyebrow in a manner very much reminiscent of his son although his bright blue eyes were considerably less threatening than Lupin's whose jet black slits could force even Sirius to backtrack hurriedly. _

"_Come on Em, we'll wait downstairs."_

_As soon as his parents had left, Lupin pulled the sheet out of the envelope and stared at it, incredulous. "I don't believe it," he muttered._

"_O in Transfiguration!" cried James, punching the air and demanding a high-five from Sirius who had announced his Os in Transfiguration, Potions and Arithmancy. "My mother will be pleased."_

"_Your mother would be proud if you told her you had failed them all and were off to Azkaban for serial killing. I bet Moony's had an O in Defence."_

_Lupin was still staring at his sheet and made no comment._

_Peter beamed. "I had an A! I passed Care of Magical Creatures and look, another one in Astronomy and an E in Potions!"_

"_Well done Pete! Moons, what did you have?"_

_Lupin finally looked up from his sheet and handed it to James. "I had an E," he murmured deliriously. The fact had evidently only recently sunk in as Lupin's entire face lit up. "Lucky to get a bloody T! I had an E! I had an E!" _

_He was screaming by now and an alarmed Peter thought that his thunder had been stolen completely. He had had an E too and yet James and Sirius hadn't fawned over him._

"_Merlin Moons! That's epic!"_

"_Oh my God! I've got to tell my dad!"_

"_I HAD AN E! I HAD AN E! I HAD A FUCKING E!"_

_CLICK!_

"_REMUS!"_

_Lupin smiled apologetically but continued to twitch in excitement, much to the consternation of his mother. "Sorry, but mum I passed Potions."_

"_I don't care," she replied. "There is absolutely no excuse for that kind of language and frankly – Oh my God! Congratulations darling. JOHN! JOHN! Remus had an E!"_

_From upstairs, James turned to Sirius and raised an eyebrow. "Jesus! Wait until he sees the nine Os."_

_As Mrs. Lupin covered her son in kisses and he attempted to swat her away, Sirius sighed. "You know, I never thought I'd say this, but oh to be Remus Lupin."_

_Peter frowned in confusion. "Wouldn't she be your mother then?"_

"_Oh Peter, trivia, trivia."_

_James smirked. "You worry me Padfoot, you really do."_

"_Look me in the eyes and tell me she's not hot."_

_James stared his friend out. "She's not hot. She looks like Remus."_

_Sirius raised an eyebrow and clenched his jaw. "Are you trying to say she looks like a man? Pete, back me up on this."_

_Peter stared, wide-eyed. There was absolutely no way he was having any part in this. Besides, they hadn't even cared about his three As. _

"_Moony! REMUS! You wouldn't say your mother looked like a man, would you?"_

_Thankfully, Mrs. Lupin had disappeared into the kitchen and Sirius would be forgiven such a remark. _

"_It was James! You know I'm a very big fan of your mother!"_

"_I meant she looks like you!" cried James, horrified. "I didn't say she looks like a man."_

_Thankfully, Lupin laughed. "She looks nothing like me."_

"_Told you!" cried Sirius, his extended index finger missing James' eye by mere centimetres. "Besides, she's pretty."_

"_What are you trying to say?" Lupin shouted up, smiling. "Come on! Mum's made breakfast."_

1995

Lupin was strangely quiet. Sirius had rather abruptly stopped talking. Whatever had happened after they had sat down to breakfast, was a touchy subject; a subject that even Sirius skirted around, which surprised Harry.

"I know that's not the end of it."

Lupin sighed. No surprises there. Harry was used to his former teacher's reservations.

Sirius stood, with some difficulty, clutching the arm of the sofa for support. Outwardly, whilst sitting at least, he appeared to have been in control of his alcohol consumption. Lupin smiled faintly and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going to make some toast," announced Sirius, heading for the kitchen.

It was only after his friend had slammed the door to the basement kitchen behind him that Lupin realised there was a flight of stairs between Sirius and the toaster. Oh well, couldn't be helped now.

"I'm assuming this involves Sirius," said Harry, tentatively pressing the subject.

Lupin nodded. "You know what I am. You know that I was bitten when I was six? So I had to have somewhere to go when I transformed and for five years, I was at home and even while I was at Hogwarts, I had to have a room to come back to so I could change in the holidays. My father converted half of our cellar. It was cold enough for my mother to keep her jams and all the other things that she made in, and so half of it was kept as her pantry and the other half became my room."

Harry could work out where this was going. "So how did he find it?"

Lupin laughed bitterly. "You are so much like your mother."

_1976_

_Sleepy Cottage, Lupin's permanent residence, had always been lively. Between two oddball cats (with even odder names) who appeared to be obsessed with sitting around and (whenever possible) _on_ John Lupin (who despised them), a large bloodhound who did nothing but sleep and try to have sexual relations with Peter's leg, Emma Lupin who was almost as eccentric as her feline 'babies' and four young wizards who were elated, the kitchen had never been noisier._

"_You'll forgive me Remus," said his father, in a tone not unlike Lupin's when he was about to make a sarcastic quip. "Not that I ever doubted you, but how the hell did you exceed expectations at Potions?"_

_Lupin laughed, failing to hear his mother's request to fetch her several items which she read from a list of condiments. "I don't know," he answered. "Probably had something to do with me writing 'I know where you live' on the inside of the paper."_

"_I'll go, Mrs. L," said Sirius, winking at her. "What do you need?"_

"_Right, go downstairs and it's the door on your left. I need a jar of strawberry jam for tarts, a jar of peaches for trifle and some pickled red cabbage for lunch."_

_Sirius made a face. Pickled cabbage? He was eating out. "Sure."_

_The next fifteen minutes passed in something of a blur. The other three boys compared results and even Peter had perked up significantly. Mrs. Lupin glanced at the clock and gasped._

"_Good grief, he's been down there fifteen minutes! Remus darling, would you just help him find the cabbage. It's on a pretty low shelf. I don't think he'll see it at first."_

_Rolling his eyes, Lupin excused himself and prised Tchaikovsky (a silver tabby) from his father's shoulder. He hated the cellar. _

"_Sirius?"_

_No answer. Oh God, that was it! He must have been crushed by jar upon jar of pickled cabbage._

"_Sirius!"_

_This time, he heard a whimper, a little high pitched and almost terrified. Lupin laughed. "She doesn't have any pickled heads down there, does sh-?"_

_His room. Sirius was standing in the middle of his room and staring at the bars across the window. The torn mattress and clawed curtains were the stuff of nightmares. _

"_Remus, I-"_

"_Just go back upstairs," said Lupin quietly, shutting the door of the pantry behind him. _

1995

"We weren't especially close before that," Lupin told Harry, who was hanging on his every word. "I mean, we were friends obviously. I told you earlier that it was Sirius who invited me to hang round with them, but James was always the link between us. We used to really just rub each other up the wrong way until the end of our first year and by the end of June, we were best friends. There was something about that day though. I suppose there are just some things that you can't share without developing a connection."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I had that with Herm-"

"REMUS!"

Lupin raised his eyes to heaven. "I don't believe this," he muttered to himself. Turning to Harry, he instructed him to flick through the box and find something interesting. "Sorry Harry but God knows what he's managed to do."

Harry laughed and selected a picture from the many that were scattered dangerously close to the fireplace after he had dropped the box. Perhaps it was just his vision, which he never completely trusted, but was his father skipping?


	45. In which James synopsises

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A.N: There is a sequel to this, I just don't have a name for it yet but I'll let everyone know when I do. **

"I put Marmite on yours," Sirius announced, handing a plate to Harry and waiting as though for a round of applause.

"Er…thanks," stammered Harry, not entirely sure what to say.

"You do like Marmite, don't you?"

"It's alright, yeah."

"What do you mean 'it's alright'? It's Marmite! You either love it or you hate it!"

Harry tried to smile, despite his eyes widening with a shocked fear. "Um, yeah…yeah I love it."

As soon as Sirius had returned to the comfort of the sofa and the last bottle of alcohol that had been 'borrowed without permission', Lupin joined Harry beside the fire, taking a bite out of what appeared to be radioactive bread.

"What on earth is that?"

Lupin smiled. "Marmalade," he replied. "I can't get enough of it."

"Yeah, I can tell," laughed Harry, toying with a slice of burnt toast. "Did he put Marmite on it to cover up the burnt bits?"

From the sofa, Sirius laughed to himself. "Remus was under the impression that you inherit a love of Marmite and your dad was crazy about it."

Lupin raised his eyebrows and murmured almost conspiratorially, "He was also crazy about tomato ketchup and for one terrifying moment, I honestly thought he was going to smother your toast in that."

Harry laughed. "It could have been worse. Anyway, I found this."

He held the picture out to Lupin who gingerly took it, in an attempt to keep it clean. Lupin laughed.

"Sirius, he's found Dorothy Potter."

Sirius burst into hysterical laughter. "I don't know who we frightened more," he began, looking to Lupin who ended his sentence with him. "Peter or McGonagall."

_January 1973_

"_Can you believe it?" asked James, harrumphing as they trooped down the corridor leading to a stone gargoyle. "Two weeks into the new year and we're already off to see Dumbledore."_

_Lupin smiled faintly. "If you'd all just listened…"_

"_Oh shut up, Remus."_

"_I'm just saying."_

_They fell into silence, the sounds of their shoes clicking against the marble floor echoed behind them._

_Peter made a face. "Besides, he's not so bad. He'll let us off, won't he?"_

_James grinned. "Of course he will. He always does."_

_It was only Lupin who failed to be reassured by this. "I don't know James. An attempted exorcism is a lot worse than asking Professor Flitwick if his first name is Yoda."_

"_I still say that cat is possessed," said Sirius. "There's no way that cats should live that long. Apparently, she's been with him for years."_

_Peter whimpered. "Yes! And she tells him things."_

"_Peter, it's a cat," said James, smiling. "It's not the devil."_

_Beside him, Lupin pursed his lips. "You weren't saying that ten minutes ago. In fact, you were telling us the exact opposite."_

"_Remus, what have I told you?"_

_Lupin rolled his eyes. "Lose the holier than thou attitude or we will feed you to Mrs. Norris."_

"_That's right," cried James, as though his friend was a small child who had solved an arithmetic problem. "So lose it!"_

_Lupin did as he was told and quietly seethed._

"_Besides," said James, frowning slightly. "You were there with the rest of us, holding hands and praying so I don't know why you're being like this."_

"_I wasn't," protested Lupin. "If you remember, I was standing by the wall and telling you that this was your most whacked out idea yet, worse than the time you made us all go swimming last November."_

"_Good times, good times," said Sirius, watching Peter's face lose its colour._

"_What if we're expelled?" asked Peter._

_Silence fell. Not one of the boys had contemplated this, not even Remus who had refused to partake in such activities._

_James shrugged and Peter whimpered. Sirius stared ahead, just one more reason for everyone at home to hate him. To his left, Lupin was twitching._

"_I can't be expelled," Lupin blurted out suddenly. "My father will kill me!"_

"_He won't kill you, Remus," James assured him with a roll of his eyes. "Sure, he'll be angry but he won't _kill_ you."_

"_No, he will!" His father had fought so hard to get him any sort of education possible. Oh God, he was as good as dead if he was thrown out. Worse, they could write to his parents. Why did he have to be there when Filch turned the corner?_

"_Look," snapped Sirius, grabbing Lupin's arms and pulling them down, untwisting the hair from round his fingers. "It doesn't matter, you can go somewhere else. We'll all have to go together anyway so we'll still have each other."_

"_You don't understand," cried Lupin, fighting against the arms that pinned his down. "I can't go anywhere else!"_

"_Why not?" asked Peter._

"_I just can't. I go home. I need to be there for my mother, she's ill, remember?"_

_The silence was deep and so incredibly awkward that even Sirius felt it. _

"_I know what'll cheer us up," said James, grinning inanely. "A sing-along. Peter! What's in your head right now?"_

"_Um…" _

_Peter, who had recently auditioned for the school choir, had been labelled as the virtuoso amongst them. He was therefore required in situations such as this because, in James' opinion, nothing dispelled tension like a barbershop quartet. _

"_Well, I was watching _The Wizard of Oz_ in the holidays," Peter admitted. "And I can't get 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow', out of my head."_

_James laughed. "I've got a better one." And without warning, he burst into, "We're off to see the Wizard!" much to the consternation of both Lupin and Sirius who watched with disdain as Peter joined him._

"_Right," said James. "Well Peter, you'd have to be the Cowardly Lion because you won't say boo to a goose! Sirius, you'd have to be the Tinman because we all know you're heartless and Remus, for some fantastic irony, you can be brainless."_

_Peter snorted. "That leaves you as Dorothy."_

_If James was thrown by this, he did not show it. "A title I shall bear with pride, gentlemen."_

"_Which means I'm heartless, Remus is brainless and Peter's nervous, so what are you?"_

"_Homeless," answered Peter. "Dorothy is looking for a home."_

_Both Lupin and James nodded. Sirius frowned. "Am I the only person who hasn't this film?"_

_James gasped. "You have been deprived. It's great. Basically, Dorothy, a.k.a. James, has been swept into this really odd land during a hurricane, you still with me?"_

_Sirius glared at him. "You think I'm some sort of retard, do you? How could I have lost you by then?"_

_James chose to ignore him. "And she kills a witch and then the witch's sister tries to kill her because Dorothy has stolen her shoes."_

"_She sounds like a right tramp," remarked Sirius, his voice dripping with scorn. "No home, no shoes…"_

"_And then she meets the scarecrow," James told him, grabbing Lupin by the arm and dragging him off. "And they sing and dance and stuff, it's great."_

_Sirius raised an eyebrow, eyeing Lupin's camera. "Oi! Loop, can I borrow your camera?"_

_Lupin glared at him but, managing to free himself from James' grasp as he skipped down the corridor, handed his camera to Sirius._

_CLICK!_

"_Gentlemen!"_

"_Oh great," muttered Lupin. "McGonagall too. This is it, I'm dead. It was nice knowing you, guys."_

"_Mr. Potter!"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_As much as your flippant attitude may amuse people, it will not endear you to anyone. In!" As she ushered him, her eyes burned. "And I don't know what you three think you're doing but you'd better follow him."_

"_Remember," hissed Sirius. "She was like it when we got there."_


	46. In which Peter gets creative

**Disclaimer: See Prologue  
****A.N.: Oh, I'll miss these. We had snow photos today but they'll be in the sequel. For anyone who's interested or requested it, the prequel "What's a Marauder?" is now up.  
****Also, my review replies have been really slacking so I'm sorry. This year, I will reply to your reviews and apologies if I have missed you so far.**

The next photograph was yet another of Harry's father, this time launching himself at Sirius who turned and fled from the frame, much to the amusement of a tittering Peter.

"Another of Remus' _genius_ photographs," said Sirius, rolling his eyes. "Why is it always me?"

"Because you were an irritating git," replied Lupin, but he was beaming. "They'd just figured out their Animagus forms," he told Harry. "And your father was a little stuck."

"Stuck?"

Sirius made a face. "It was your father who gave me 'Snuffles'. I was terrified that would catch on. Good old Loopy!"

_1976_

"_You knew, didn't you?" cried Sirius, smiling and turning to face Lupin who leaned, arms folded and a decidedly smug smile on his face, against a desk. _

_The deserted classroom that Lupin often frequented due to his inability to refuse help to every last one of the girls who asked for a Charms partner to practise with, was dark and Sirius could only make out his friend's shining eyes._

"_What makes you say that?" asked Lupin, smirking._

"_You've been working with a Patronus for years."_

_Lupin smiled. "Yeah, the form is just your Patronus. Incidentally, where did you find that?"_

"_Well," said James, obviously this was a story that would take some telling. "Remember that book you had from the Restricted Section in first year?"_

"_Hmm, from that?" he asked, wondering whether he had in fact ever returned that book. "Lumos," he hissed, watching Peter bite his lip._

"_Yes," answered James. "Which means that you have known about this for years and you didn't say a word."_

_Lupin smiled. "I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again, I am not about to help you break the law."_

"_Come on then," snapped Sirius, impatient and practically bouncing on his toes. "Let's see them."_

_Peter twitched. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"_

_James clenched his jaw. "Do you mean to tell me that you have let me think up an ingenious plan, research Animagii for hours of my free time that could be spent ensnaring a certain someone and generally work my arse off, so that you can quit when it's finally over?"_

_Peter shook his head hurriedly. "No, no, no. I just meant that…what if I can't change back?"_

_Sirius grinned. "Then we'll change you back."_

"_Well what if neither of us can change back?"_

_Lupin sighed. "Peter, the morning after you change, I just wake up as me again and I know how to change you back. If you don't want to do this, all you have to do is say. I'm certainly not forcing you," he said gently._

"I_ am," said James, a bitter tone to his voice that Peter did not much care for. "You said you were up for this. You said you would be there for Remus and frankly, after all the stuff he does for you, this is the least you can do in return."_

_Peter gulped and nodded, too frightened to add that although Remus had checked and corrected his Astronomy essay, he had righted Remus' potion before Slughorn could pull him up on it, yet again. He lowered his wand to his head and slowly his nose began to twitch. He sprouted whiskers and grew a large, pink and twisted tail, which was the closest he managed to get._

"_Okay," said James, removing the whiskers with a flick of his wand. "It's a start. I'm tempted to let you keep the tail, Peter. It looks good on you."_

"_Yeah," laughed Lupin. "It brings out the colour of your eyes."_

_Sirius spluttered. "I think we can all stop beating about the bush here boys. It looks like he has a worm hanging out of his arse."_

_James laughed. "Yeah, you realise that you're going to be Wormtail forever now, don't you?"_

_Peter frowned and twitched his nose in a disgruntled manner, wondering whether he should be angry. At least it was a better nick-name than 'Moony'. _

"_Oh Wormy, don't look so traumatised," said Lupin, obliterating the long, thin tail. "You get used to it, trust me. Everyone calls me Moony these days."_

"_Does Minnie scream it for you in bed?" _

_Lupin drew his wand but he smiled, even if somewhat grimly. "Keep it up Sirius, and I will hex you into next Wednesday."_

_Sirius laughed. "No you won't. Ooh, is it my turn?"_

"_No," said James, lowering the tip of his wand to his head and transforming almost perfectly. Before them, stood a large, proud and jet black stag who appeared to be wearing spectacles. _

_Concentrating hard, he returned to his former figure. "So how did I do?"_

_Lupin grinned. "Great. I am honestly amazed that you managed to do that. Have you any idea how advanced this whole project is?"_

_James smiled in a manner that told them he knew all too well. Sirius decided therefore, that he probably ought to be taken down a peg or two._

"_You do realise you were still wearing your glasses?"_

_Peter laughed and James sighed. _

"_I'll get better at that with practise. We've got two weeks before full moon. Come on Sirius, let's see this dog then."_

_Sirius beamed. "It's immense, seriously."_

_James raised an eyebrow. "You've never done it before."_

"_I know," said Sirius. "But the Patronus looks great."_

_Lupin caught James' eye and both tried to suppress their laughter. Typical Sirius. _

_Without even the use of his wand, Sirius was soon strutting around the room, tail in the air and silver eyes gleaming. He even dared to wink at Peter who, having had several sexually explicit meetings with Lupin's father's bloodhound, tucked his legs underneath him and knelt on the desk beside his werewolf friend._

"_I don't know about you," said James, speaking to Lupin but staring at the black dog who pranced around the room. "But I think Snuffles suits him down to the ground."_

_Sirius, fully returned to his human form, narrowed his eyes. "Shut up, Potter."_

"_So we have Moony, we have Wormtail and we have Snuffles," said James. "So what am I?"_

"_A prat," joked Sirius, sharing a glance with Lupin. _

"_Seriously," said James. "What would you call a stag?"_

_Sirius faked concern and appeared to be deep in thought. "Bambi," he replied._

"_Shut it, Snuffles," snapped James, launching himself at Sirius._

_CLICK!_

"_Moony! Sod off!"_

_Lupin laughed but acquiesced, stuffing the camera back into his bag and pulling out his Transfiguration homework._

"_What are you doing?" asked Peter, reading over his shoulder._

"_Homework," replied Lupin. "I might as well do something productive while they slug it out."_

_The awkward silence descended. Silence was always awkward with Peter. Sirius never allowed for silence, he hated it. In fact, the only person who Lupin could share companionable silence with was James. Considering how little depth James Potter appeared to have, or at least pretended to have, this continued to shock Lupin._

"_Prongs!" cried Peter, rather suddenly. _

_Sirius dusted himself off. "What?"_

"_Prongs," repeated Peter. "The antlers of a stag, they're like prongs."_

_Sirius laughed but beside him, James considered this. _

"_Do you know," he said softly. "I like it; Moony, Wormtail, Prongs and Snuffles."_

_Sirius raised his eyebrows. "If you think you're calling me that-"_

"_Hey whoa," laughed James. "Why, what's the matter with it?"_

"_What _isn't_ the matter with it? It's gay! It's almost as bad as Snivellus!"_

_Lupin winked at James. "Yeah, they do sound pretty similar. Come on _Snuffle_us, before we breach curfew."_

"_Stop it!"_

_Lupin smirked. "I will when you will."_

"_But-"_

"_But McGonagall is my teacher."_

"_Fair enough," replied Sirius. "Bet that makes for some interesting role-play."_

_Hence the reason why Sirius oughtn't to have been surprised when the girls in Care of Magical Creatures took to calling him by said nick-name._

"_James, why are they calling me Snuffles?"_

_James looked up from his chapter on Thestrals. "Beg pardon?"_

_Lupin peered harder into the book and pressed his lips together, pretending that he had not heard the exchange between his two friends._

"_Remus?"_

"_Hmm?"_

"_You are so dead!"_

_Peter bit his lip beside them. He was always the last person they suspected._


	47. In which Sirius gets defensive

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A/N: I've fancied writing this for a while. I took to reading back through some old chapters and can't believe I didn't include this one. Yes, by the way, embarrassingly, this did indeed happen and everything Sirius says is a direct quote but obviously the guy I base my Sirius on, wasn't defending Remus.**

The next photograph induced a groan of embarrassment from Lupin who pushed his fringe back and hurriedly flicked it in his face, avoiding Harry's eyes.

Sirius laughed, throwing his head back and handing the picture to Harry whose anticipation was almost equal to his dread.

He watched the teenaged Lupin react in a similar fashion to the Lupin in his thirties. Beside the auburn haired twelve year old, Harry's father raised a questioning eyebrow and attempted to bite back his laughter.

_1972_

_The walk to the train station was the longest of his life. They wouldn't be there. His head told him that they wouldn't. Peter had already made his excuses, although given the choice, Lupin thought he would choose a fortnight in the Algarve over a week in Devon too._

_James and Sirius, who had been thrilled to find that they lived relatively close to one another, were boarding the eight o'clock train and would be in Kingsbridge at half past ten. _

_To Lupin's delight, not only had he not encountered even one of his previous classmates from St. John's, but he heard his friends before he even saw them. _

"_I told you we got off at the wrong stop!" cried Sirius._

_James groaned. "Look. It says Kingsbridge."_

_Lupin turned the corner, beaming at them. "You got off at the right stop, then?"_

"_Oh yeah," agreed Sirius. "But I mean there was never any doubt in our minds to be honest. We knew we were here from your descriptions which were so very specific, by the way."_

_Lupin laughed. "I forgot about there being a succession of stops by the coast."_

_James grinned back. "I knew where we were going anyway. So, where's your house?"_

"_Well, we have to get on a bus."_

_Sirius sighed. "More public transport? I don't know how the Muggles cope."_

_James shushed him. "Hello, Secrecy Act?"_

_By the time they arrived in Hope Cove, Sirius had been completely sold to the idea. The streets were quiet and so much cleaner than London, life was so much slower, everyone in the little Muggle village knew one another and best of all; both the sea and the summer weather that came with it were fantastic. _

"_Remus?"_

_Lupin, watching James stare open mouthed out of the window, turned his gaze to Sirius. "Yeah?"_

"_Can we swap homes?"_

_Lupin laughed. "Not on your life."_

_All in all, this had been one of the best days of Lupin's life and finally, free of the sluggish movement that all Devonshire busses seemed to obtain after a mere few days service, he and his friends stood at the end of a long, sandy and semi-paved road._

"_That's my house," Lupin declared, pointing to a small structure that was almost a dot in the distance. It was barely visible on the cliffs, encompassed by sand and small tufts of grass. It was perfect._

"_Oh, hi there!"_

_Inwardly, Lupin groaned. Slowly, he turned to face the short, bright blonde haired boy. _

"_Hello," he mumbled, trying to look him in the eyes._

"_Don't look at me!"_

_Lupin kicked a stone at his feet and watched it roll along the gentle slope that led into his garden. He was vaguely aware of both James and Sirius trying to catch his eye._

"_This is Mark," he told them. "We er…we went to school together. He hates my eyes."_

"_They're freak eyes. How's freak school, anyway?"_

_Lupin had never told his first friends that he had been bullied throughout his early school days, choosing instead to pretend that they had never happened. He could almost feel the animosity from James._

"_I don't go to freak school," Lupin muttered, aiming his retort towards the blades of grass that he stood on. _

_Sirius held out his hand. "Hi Mark," he said softly, shaking the other boy's hand. "No, Remus doesn't go to freak school. It's a Juvenile Correction Centre. We _all_ go. I'm Chopper."_

_James resisted the urge to laugh and simply nodded his confirmation. _

_Mark shifted his weight and Lupin bit his lip to stop the growing smile._

"_Really?"_

"_Yeah, they call me that because I chop little boys' cocks off."_

_Mark coughed. "What?"_

"_Oh yeah; and then I eat them. I know I shouldn't. I mean, think of the calories. Better to be like Remus here and just slit throats. That said though Loopy, it does take you a while to clean up afterwards, doesn't it?"_

_Lupin slowly nodded his head, knowing he would regret this. "Yeah," he said softly. _

"_Right. Well, nice to meet you."_

_Sirius licked his lips and laughed to himself as the smaller boy backtracked and hurriedly made his excuses. "Remus, have any more trouble with him and tell him I thought his penis was delectable."_

_James could contain his laughter no longer. "That's so disgusting."_

"_You should see your faces."_

_CLICK!_

"_Get out of my bag! Next thing I know, you'll be trying to get at my delectable penis."_

_Lupin and James were soon in a state of hysterics, Lupin having forgotten what had even troubled him in the first place._

"_Anyway, come on! My mum's made scones! Don't act odd either, she's a Muggle and she has a bit of an obsession with mythology. Just ignore it. _I_ do."_

"_Is that where your name comes from?" asked James. "Remus, as in Romulus and Remus?"_

_Lupin nodded. "I suppose I should be thankful. I could have been Hercules or something. It's supposed to represent the Italian in her too."_

_Sirius did a double take. "She's Italian?"_

_Lupin shook his head. "Her great to God knows how many times removed grandmother was. That's where the 'freak eyes' come from."_

"_If it's any consolation," said James, picking up his suitcase. "I think your eyes are seriously cool."_

"_Yeah," agreed Sirius. "Just not quite as cool as mine. Did you know that apparently, Italian women have the highest sex drives in Europe?"_

_Lupin made a face. "Sirius, she's my mother. She's not even Italian."_

"_Yeah, way more than we needed to know," agreed James. "Do you know, Remus, I haven't even met your mother and already I don't think I'll be able to look her in the eyes."_

1995

Sirius laughed to himself. "You see this man, Harry?"

Harry nodded. How could he not see him? Lupin was sitting right next to him.

"Well, he may appear to be quiet and average now but as soon as he gets near the sea, he gets all 'Her know what good for she' on you. We got into his house and it took me and your father a good hour, at least, to work out what his entire family were saying. Go on Remus, do your accent."

Lupin rolled his eyes but acquiesced. "Alrigh' Harry?"

Harry jumped. "You sound like Hagrid."

Lupin winced. "Gee, thanks."

"You do realise," said Sirius, arching an eyebrow. "That from this day on, I'll be calling you Rubeus Lupin, right?"

"I hate you," murmured Lupin. "Both of you."


	48. In which Lupin reinvents himself

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A.N: Yes, this is the last photograph and I'm actually really sad (and it was the hardest one to write) but there are two chapters after this so the fic's not quite done. It's the longest too but I feel that it needs to be.  
****Thanks to Deadly Poppy who pulled me up on my laziness. **

It was an odd picture; perhaps one that was never meant to have been taken. Despite the air of embarrassment and impromptu nature of the previous photographs, they appeared to have been staged. The boys laughed, smiled or waved up at Harry.

This one though, this one was raw. Peter's chest heaved, James and Sirius looked capable of murder and _Sweet Merlin_! That was _not_ Remus. It couldn't be.

Lupin's black eyes had narrowed to slits and he took a long drag on a cigarette, smiling faintly at the camera and Lily, who had turned photographer for their last day at Hogwarts. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of the leather jacket and shook his long, sandy hair out of his eyes.

The middle-aged Lupin beside him, grinned at Harry. "Sirius, could I keep this one?"

"Knock yourself out."

"So what happened?" Harry asked tentatively. From Sirius' silence, he took this subject to be one that was approached with a great deal of caution.

"I had my heart broken," Lupin answered, strangely serene. There was not even a trace of resentment in his voice. He managed to look Harry in the eyes, which made a change. "And whilst I look at that picture now and think I look pretty cool, I _wasn't_. Don't smoke."

Harry rolled his eyes but accepted the warning. There would be a lecture to come if he ever took it up. In some ways, Lupin was the mother he never had.

"Of course you look cool," said Sirius, interrupting Harry's thoughts. "You were wearing my clothes."

Harry glanced down at the photograph. Yes, it was obvious now. That was why Remus was almost unrecognisable. This Lupin was the Antichrist in comparison to the man who had tutored him.

"All I'll say," said Lupin. "Is that when you're broken, you must always be fixed. There's always someone out there who will repair you. You know what I am; you know how I feel about it. I have never felt less human than I did then, not even at the full moon."

_1978_

"_Peter! Peter, please!"_

_Anna clung to the front of his robes, her eyes bloodshot, wide and terrified. Her breathing was so ragged that Peter honestly feared for her. Still though, she had betrayed Remus. She had hurt Remus and Remus was…well, Remus was God. _

_When Sirius and James crossed the line, Remus pulled them back. He was often the reason that the other two apologised to Peter when their teasing became something slightly more sinister, although Remus, humble and transcendent as he was, would never admit to such a thing. _

_When Peter didn't quite grasp something, it was Remus who patiently talked him through it, step by step until at last, the information was absorbed and he didn't mind in the slightest. When Peter asked for help, Remus would smile in the manner of a man who had been waiting to have his free time snatched from him all his life._

_When Sirius had said that creating a map would be the coolest thing they would ever do, it had been Remus who had turned the dream into a prized possession, now sadly the prize possession of Argus Filch._

"_Bitch," he hissed and unfurled her balled fists, releasing himself from her desperate grasp._

_He knew that he was her last hope. Sirius had threatened her with bruises that she would never be fully rid of and, gentlemanly though Padfoot usually was in regards to the fairer sex, none of them, not the Marauders, not Lily and certainly not Anna Lovett, had doubted his sincerity._

_James had told her in no uncertain terms that he never wanted to see her again and Lily, Peter tittered, Lily had made her life hell. Everything Lovett did was criticised. The Head Girl had even slapped her only yesterday. In fairness, it had made an excellent photograph._

_Though, as soon as Remus had departed, thinking that everyone knew he suffered from lycanthropy, he had become distant and insisted on solitary moping._

_It was no surprise then, to find his bed empty and Sirius and James pacing, debating the possible whereabouts of the third musketeer. Both raised their heads and smiled, hoping against hope that it would be a smiling Remus; a Remus who would chastise them for their latest ingenious prank but demand a blow-by-blow account of it._

"_Alright, Pete?"_

_Peter's nod was enough to tell them that he was not alright. _

"_What's up?"_

_Peter flopped onto his bed. "I was just grabbed by the bitch from hell."_

"_Oh yeah?" Sirius' tone made even James pull a face. "What did she want?"_

"_Asked me to talk to Remus."_

"_And what did you say?"_

_Peter shrugged. "Nothing much. I told her what I thought of her and came up here."_

_Sirius nodded his approval. "Good man." He turned to James but continued to address Peter. "Listen Pete, can you wait here in case Moony comes back? Me and James are off to check on him, wherever he is."_

_Peter nodded. That seemed to make sense. _

_The Common Room fell into silence as Sirius and James stormed across it and through the Portrait Hole, throwing a token glance of utter disgust towards their best friend's ex-girlfriend._

"_I'm thinking the Shack," whispered Sirius, stooping slightly to ensure that the cloak would cover both himself and James, who nodded._

_The wind howled as they approached the Whomping Willow and without Wormtail to cease its constant violent movements, the breath caught in their throats. Neither of them offered to prod it. _

"_A stick!" cried Sirius, not caring who heard him now. He slipped out from under the cloak and prodded the small indentation. The tree was immediately still, eerily so and now they could hear the bloodcurdling screams from within. _

"_Remus," James whispered to himself. "What the hell?"_

_The screams became desperate. Lupin must have been in serious pain. His voice was already hoarse; they could hear it in his cries for relief._

_He crouched on the topmost floor of the Shack, his fists balled, tears streaming from his reddened eyes, and rocked back and forth, his bawls now almost demonic sounding. He seemed possessed._

_James knelt beside him, casting the cloak aside and wrapping his arms around his wailing best friend. He shushed him until Lupin's sobs became mere sniffles and gasps for breath. _

"_You'll do yourself an injury if you carry on, Remus."_

_Sirius slowly came to understand. "Or is that what you _want_?"_

_Lupin nodded. "You know…when you…you w…want something on the out…outside to show what you f…feel inside?"_

_Sirius nodded, knowing that his friend would not see him doing so anyway. He crouched beside Lupin, who was now sitting cross-legged on the floor. For the first time since their meeting, Sirius did not refer to him by a nick-name. "Remus, you have enough scars." He glanced over at James and said ever so softly, "I could kill her."_

"_Don't," protested Lupin. "Don't say that."_

"_Remus, to use the Muggle phrase, I could quite happily shoot her in the face." He stood and pulled Lupin up with him. "What you need is to feel human and I'm sorry, but there's nothing any of us can do to help you this time. I know that she's ripped your heart out and torn it into little confetti pieces that she's thrown off the top of the Astronomy tower-"_

_James frowned slightly. "Pad, how is it that whatever we do, you manage to be completely inappropriate?" _

_Remus laughed and his shoulders shook as yet more tears fell. He hurriedly wiped them away. He was a man, he was a Marauder and neither men nor Marauders cried. Hence why he had screamed until the only pain he could focus on was the pain at the back of his throat. _

"_Remus-"_

_Lupin took a deep breath and spoke very slowly. "I loved her. I still do, that's why I hate her so much. I…it feels so wrong talking to you about this."_

_Sirius sat down, gesturing for Lupin to follow suit. "But you want to talk about sex."_

_James rolled his eyes and sat beside them, shocked when Lupin nodded._

"_I…I made love to her," he told them, staring at the floor to avoid their eyes. "And I didn't know it at the time, I don't think. When she…she, you know…I watched her and I honestly didn't care what I got out of it because the look in her eyes was…I can't even explain it."_

"_You don't need to," James assured him._

_Sirius sighed. "Well, I've had more girls than I care to mention and I have never once made love. It's almost enviable, Remus. The first time you take a girl to bed, not only does she get some of the good stuff but you also manage to make love. I wouldn't know genuine love if it danced, bare arsed naked in front of me, although I'd probably try to shag it."_

_Lupin laughed despite himself. In his hysterics, everything became either manically depressing or the funniest thing he had ever heard. Despite his amusement, the light in his eyes dimmed. "I don't understand how she could do that. You know, I feel sick when I think that she looked at him like that too. People always say that when you sleep with someone, you sleep with everyone that they have slept with and, by that logic, I screwed Mulciber. I think that's why I feel ill to be honest."_

_Sirius grinned. "Don't blame you, mate."_

_Lupin smiled grimly. "Thank you."_

"_No problem," said James, getting to his feet. "We're Marauders, right? What are we?"_

"_We're Marauders," Lupin repeated, his voice low and hushed._

"_And that makes us brothers, right? What are we?"_

"_We're brothers."_

"_Right," agreed James. "So I say we go back to the castle and we put you back together. Much as I love your hair Moony, it's got to go."_

_Anna had found the counter-charm and after a little sweet talking in a soft, sexy Belfast accent, Lupin had allowed her to return his hair to its former copper colour. He had also chopped off most of it at her request because she said that she found him more attractive with it short._

_And so, upon entering the dormitory, Lupin had peered through Peter's curtains and smiled down at him. "Pete, remember that spell you put on my hair?"_

"_I'm not about to forget anything about that morning, Remus."_

_Lupin made an attempt at a smile. "I was wondering if you could do it again."_

_A simple flick of Peter's wand later, Lupin's hair was the sandy brown that he and his friends had become accustomed to._

"_I don't know what it is," said Peter, staring at his wand. "But I think that's the only colour I can do."_

_The others had laughed and James had cast a charm that resulted in Lupin's hair growing at an alarming rate. Peter was quickly called upon to remedy that and Remus repeatedly insisted that he wanted hair like a man named John Lemon or something like that anyway. _

_Needless to say, no-one with the exception of Remus, knew The Beatles and Lennon might as well have come from Mars. However, Peter tried his best and the end result made Remus smile and really, that was all that mattered._

"_I don't want you to think I'm gay or anything," said Lupin, biting his lip. "But I've been wearing this to every family party I go to these days and I want to know what you think."_

_James and Sirius shared a look of horror. What the bloody hell had Remus been doing? As long as it wasn't skin or a dress then they couldn't see a problem and surely Remus would know this._

_So absorbed were they in these thoughts that neither of them noticed his application of thick, black eyeliner._

_Sirius stared, wide eyed. "Okay, I don't want _you_ to think _I'm_ gay, but that is sexy. Give me some!"_

_James coughed. "Sorry, _what_?"_

"_Eyeliner, you twat. Now Moons, change into your uniform."_

_Lupin collected his clothes and obediently headed into the bathroom to change Standing before Sirius and ready for appraisal, Lupin slumped slightly._

"_Making me into some kind of sex God is going to take a lot more than one night, isn't it?"_

_Sirius smiled knowingly and shook his head. He pulled at Lupin's scarlet and gold striped tie and unbuttoned two fastenings of his shirt, pulling the collar to expose a little shoulder but not quite enough to exhibit the bite mark for all to see. He pulled the back of it out of Lupin's trousers. He scrutinised and bit his lip._

"_You know what you need?"_

_Lupin shook his head and was shocked when Sirius flung his leather jacket at him. "What? No way. I can't take this."_

"_Course you can," Sirius assured him. "I want a new set anyway, for the bike, so if anyone wants the leather trousers, speak now or forever hold your peace. I'll have that bike in three days now. Can you believe it?"_

_They all agreed that no, they couldn't believe it and nor could they believe that tomorrow would be their last full day at this school. _

"_Anyway, I'm knackered," Sirius announced. "Night, all."_

"_Wait."_

_Lupin threw his arms around him and thanked him. "I'll wear it tomorrow, see what she says. And you, Pete, thanks ever so much." Lupin crossed the room and embraced Peter also. He waited until the others had gone to bed to take James to one side._

"_What you did tonight, I really will be grateful for the rest of my life. Thanks for making me see."_

_James smiled. "Moon, you're my best mate. What did you expect me to do?"_

_Lupin pinned James to him. "I'll miss you, you know."_

"_You don't have to," said James. "Stay with me. I've got loads of money; I'm rolling in the damn stuff. I'll keep you."_

_Touched, Lupin nodded. "You'll have to literally throw me out, mind."_

_James beamed. "You know, I get the feeling that life won't be too bad after all. It'll be us four, forever. What are we?"_

_Lupin rolled his eyes. "Marauders."_

"_And that makes us…?"_

"_Brothers."_

_James sighed. "I know it hurts now but one day, you'll wake up and it'll just stop. It worked for me and Lily; time."_

_Lupin nodded, lighting a cigarette and making his way to the window to exhale. "Yeah, I know."_

"_Get some sleep. You can't be sexy with bags under your eyes. People will think your eyeliner's smudged."_

* * *

_And so, the next morning, for the first time in days, the Marauders walked about the school as a foursome, laughing or at least attempting to and generally avoiding anywhere that they might encounter Mulciber or any of his wannabe Death Eater friends. _

_Obviously, this backfired massively. Under their tree, their spot, by the lake, they carved their initials in the bark. It was a ritual that Lily had opted out of. This was for the boys. She had taken charge of Lupin's camera whilst he slowly fried in the hot leather, chain smoking and trying not to cough in protest._

"_There she is," whispered Peter, nodding to a secluded area across the lake. _

_Lupin took a long drag and a deep breath afterwards and then he made the mistake of looking up._

_She stood before the burly Slytherin, avoiding his eyes but allowing him to run his hands along her arms, back and even her thighs. He kissed her, only too aware of Lupin's gaze. _

_Something in Peter snapped. His heart pounded. This was so bloody unfair. He frowned, averting his eyes and breathing deeply._

_Sirius and James shared the same expression, murderous glares and mirthless smirks._

_Lupin though, had never felt more human. This feeling was normal. Jealousy; well, everyone felt it. Pain; known the world over. So fucking what? She wanted Mulciber? She was welcome to him. _

_CLICK!_

"_Couldn't resist; not while Remus looks like that anyway."_

_And evidently, neither could Gemini Costello, the forth year Ravenclaw who had been spiking his Pumpkin juice, stalking him round the school and begging him for help with a Patronus ever since she'd caught a glimpse of his ethereal swallow darting round an abandoned classroom. _

_She reached up and kissed him, stamping on the cigarette that he threw on the grass. _

"_Sorry," he mumbled, shocked and slightly appalled that he was willing to stoop this low. "I must taste like an ashtray."_

"_Christ!" James exclaimed, watching with a vague interest. "You'd never know that was the same man, would you?"_

_Sirius shook his head. "My work here is done."_

1995

"So what happened?"

"I'm glad you asked me that," said Lupin, smiling the smile of a man who so badly wanted to end what he had began. "In fact, I've got a whole box full of photos taken after we left. I'll have to show them to you."

Harry grinned. "Yeah! Tomorrow night!"

"Deal."

"So what happened?"

* * *

**I can't believe that's all my Hogwarts pictures covered. Obviously, not all of Lupin's because he's obsessively snap-happy but they made for some interesting highlights. **

**Anyway, this is to be continued so bear with me for another few days.**

**Candy~**


	49. Epilogue part 1

**Disclaimer:** **See Prologue**

**A.N: One more chapter after this because I couldn't choose between my epilogues. I know this is a really quick update but I really want to be able to legitimately start work on the sequel which, for anyone interested, is called "Daring, Nerve and Chivalry". It focuses on the post-Hogwarts pictures and for everyone who asked for photos from Lily and James' wedding or baby Harry pics, they'll be in there.**

"Well," answered Lupin, slowly contemplating his answer. His smile faded slightly. "You know what happened to us. Your mum and dad are no longer with us and-"

"And Peter was a dick."

"Yes, and Peter was a…forgive me, I'm just trying to find a more appropriate word." Lupin cast a disapproving glance toward the sofa. "Bearing in mind that your underage, impressionable godson is hanging on your every word. So yes, Peter turned traitor."

Stretched out on the sofa and mulling over the years prior to Azkaban, Sirius smiled somewhat faintly. "Yeah, that's one way of putting it, although I still prefer my version."

"I bet you do," Lupin muttered, collecting photographs that Harry would have paid to find out about and tying them together with the ribbon that had adorned the box only yesterday morning. "Severus went on to teach Potions."

"After getting a very fetching tattoo on his wrist."

"Sirius!"

Sirius shrugged and raised his eyebrows. "I'm just saying. You said that you wanted Harry to know about this stuff so, you know…"

Harry agreed. Frankly, who the bloody hell was Remus Lupin to decide what he should know? He wasn't the man his parents had entrusted with this sort of situation and he certainly wasn't his father. "Yeah," he snapped. "Besides, I already knew that Snape was a Death Eater so there's no point trying to sweeten everything."

"_Professor_ Snape, Harry," Lupin reminded him. "And I was not trying to sweeten anything for you. I am well aware that you are not a child, Harry. However, grudges should not be inherited."

Harry, though forced by Lupin's easy explanation and reasoned argument to apologise, couldn't help but think that it was a little too late for that.

"Who haven't we covered?" Lupin asked, rhetorically.

"Me," replied Sirius. "I suppose I should give you a brief account of that summer since Loopy disappeared for a few months." He left it to Lupin to explain himself, if he so wished. "Your Mum moved in with me and your Dad and eventually agreed to marry him, although Moony was back by then. I had finally lived out my childhood dream and bought a bike which I took to tampering with in a big way just to get away from the lovebirds. Well, they had you and…and-"

"And the rest is history," said Lupin, acknowledging Sirius' nod of thanks.

"Why were you away?"

"My father had fallen ill and during that summer, he passed away. I spent two months with my mother before I even contemplated going back to London but we owled each other fairly often. I was kept posted but obviously, there aren't any pictures."

Harry immediately regretted asking. He had known Lupin long enough to realise that this was the sort of personal question that his former professor found very difficult to answer. He got the impression that even Sirius, who had known Lupin the longest and who was practically family, had not even scratched the surface when it came to this man.

Lupin didn't appear to mind too much. He continued as though he had never been interrupted. "And shortly after your Mum and Dad married, so did Anna and Mulciber. Presumably he was a member of Voldemort's inner circle by then, they _both_ were."

Sirius frowned. "Lovett wasn't a Death Eater."

"There was a point when she might as well have been."

Harry noted the use of her maiden name but thought little of it; presumably, it was force of habit. There appeared to be an unspoken argument between the two men as they stared each other out.

It took a moment for this to sink in. His opinions of this woman had yo-yoed from the moment he had sat down. Sirius' jibes had been moderately funny until he had heard about her and she seemed nice enough; perfect for Lupin, soft spoken and shy. He knew that she had married Mulciber and that she had broken Remus' heart but suddenly, at the term 'Death Eater', the only image he could bring to mind was of the Longbottoms.

The silence was eerie and eventually broken by Sirius, who couldn't stand it any longer.

"Still want to see those pictures?"

Harry nodded, wanting to see them more than ever before.

Lupin grinned. "You've had a few of them already."

And it dawned on Harry. "Yes, it was _you_!"

Sirius' eyes darted between them as Harry stared on, incredulous and unable to believe his own stupidity, while Lupin continued to grin, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

"What did he do?" Sirius asked, unable to stand it any longer.

"Hagrid said that he had called in favours from friends of my parents."

"Well," said Lupin. "I was happy to help. Besides, at the time, I was the only one of their friends around. I thought perhaps you knew but didn't want to embarrass me."

Sirius nodded slowly. "Right," he said at last. "So you gave Harry some photographs a few years ago?"

"How could I have been so stupid?"

Lupin shrugged. "You weren't supposed to know who they were from."

"Am _I_ in them?"

Lupin rolled his eyes. "You are quite possibly the vainest human being I have ever come across and I spent a year teaching Malfoy's son."

Sirius winced. "Ouch." He flicked through the box and finally found what he was looking for, a photograph of the four boys, arm in arm and laughing. "Well Remus, I hope you don't mind but I'm giving these to Harry and Harry, if _you_ don't mind, I'm keeping this picture."

Harry was about to assure his godfather that no, of course he didn't mind when they were interrupted by both Sirius' bubblegum haired cousin and Mrs. Weasley.

"Wotcher," said Tonks, smiling. "My Dad says thanks for hiding his beer and sent me to take it back now Mum's said she's okay with it."

Lupin laughed bitterly. "Have fun."

"You're up early," Molly commented, popping her head through on her way to the kitchen, adding "Oh, hello dear" at the sight of Tonks who smiled back.

"Oh contraire, Mol," Sirius corrected. "We haven't gone to bed yet."

Molly Weasley shut the door behind her and peered over the sofa. "Do you mean to tell me that you have kept this boy up all night?"

"We fed him!" cried Sirius.

"Yes," muttered Lupin. "Burnt toast and marmite; truly the food of the Gods."

"And we kept him hydrated!"

Harry hiccoughed and attempted to pass it off as a cough, spluttering wildly and hoping it would not confirm Mrs. Weasley's suspicions.

"You didn't!" shrieked Molly, knowing full well that they had.

"No," said Sirius, getting to his feet. "No, I didn't. It was Remus. He practically forced the stuff down the child's throat. I tried to stop him but he overpowered me, you know what he's like."

Lupin raised his eyebrows but made no comment, grinning as Tonks laughed.

"Right," snapped Mrs. Weasley. "To bed! All of you!"

Sirius sighed and did as he was told before Tonks could interrogate him in regards to the whereabouts of her father's alcohol stash.

"If you don't mind, Molly," said Tonks, smiling. "I'd just like a quick word with Remus about um…about…"

"Mundungus Fletcher," said Remus, hurriedly.

"I don't think I can go to sleep," Harry admitted.

Lupin smiled down at him. "Okay, you can help me find those photographs. Just give me five minutes."

He was pulled out into the corridor and it was just a thought and a slightly drunken one at that, but Harry was sure those two were hiding something.


	50. Epilogue part 2

**Disclaimer: See Prologue**

**A/N: I can't believe this is the end. Without sounding like Gwyneth Paltro, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed or favourited or even just read it. Neither can I believe that this was supposed to only be fifteen chapters long…  
****Also, the sequel will be up Sunday night so sorry, I can't link. The first chapter of that leads on from Chapter 49.**

"Ted?"

"Uh-huh? Just let me finish this sentence."

Teddy Lupin looked up from the Charms textbook he had been flicking through. Harry thought that despite turquoise hair and a disturbing penchant for punk rock, the teenaged Teddy had never reminded him more of Remus Lupin.

"Harry?"

Harry was jolted from his reverie by the sound of his godson to whom he handed three boxes, all full of Lupin's photography. Three boxes that spanned almost thirty years.

"I've tried to organise them," Harry told him. "The first one is school. The second _should_ be the eighties; if it's not, it's the third which, if I did this properly, is your mother."

Teddy tentatively opened the box that Lupin had handed Sirius so many years ago, upon which was now written 'one'.

"The third box is my mother?" he joked. "I thought my family dynamics were messed up enough already without that kind of bombshell."

Harry laughed. "You get more and more like your dad every day."

Teddy shrugged. "I can think of worse people to bear a resemblance to than my own father." He pulled out the first photograph, one of Harry's particular favourites, of Lupin and his own father leaping on Peter's bed, laughing and strumming air guitars. For a moment, Harry almost regretted giving them away; until he saw Teddy's expression.

It was decidedly 'uncool' for a fourteen year old boy to cry, so Teddy didn't but he squinted a little, holding tears off, and a muscle jumped in his jaw. Harry knew the feeling. He had exactly the same tendencies when he saw that picture.

Thankfully, he was saved from making an embarrassing excuse by a telling crash and the shouts of his sons as they battled it out for the title of innocent victim.

"Oh dear God. Okay Ted, I really have to got to run but I'll be back later if you don't mind. You might want to hear about them."

Teddy nodded gratefully and steeling himself, delved further into the box.

It was early evening when Harry returned, choosing to knock before he entered the spare room because it had somehow gradually become known as Teddy's. It was almost like a second home. He had two crammed bookshelves and case upon case of obscure CDs, most of which by bands that very few people had heard of. He had stuck posters to the walls and it had even been painted.

It had not even been a gradual step, by which the boy had started leaving small possessions behind. He had stayed over for a week during the previous summer and, having inherited his mother's bluntness, asked if he could have the spare room. Had his father been around, Harry was sure Lupin would have reacted with the same world-weary shaking of his head that had been previously reserved only for remarks made by Sirius Black.

What first struck him was the lack of moving band posters and even the lack of paint. Harry's eyes toured his spare room, taking in the images of Lupin that served as a sort of makeshift wallpaper. Pictures he knew well, ones taken at school. Pictures that induced an ache that would once have almost crippled him, ones taken in the year of his parents' death. Pictures he had never seen before, ones taken in the last years of Lupin's life - mostly of Tonks, swatting at the camera and trying to hide herself.

But perhaps most shockingly of all, Remus Lupin now lay on the bed which had been dragged into the centre of the room, and gazed up at pictures that would seem to be of himself.

Harry felt the ache for Lupin, a feeling he had never before really experienced. In the past it had been faint, when he needed someone who would know anything and everything about a strange but interesting creature that had made its home in the bottom of the garden pond or when he needed sound advice. And yet, now it was stronger than it had ever been because he was so close, he could reach out and touch him.

He cleared his throat and asked, "Is this you then?"

Teddy sat up, shocked to find he had company. "Sort of." He stood, an exact clone of his father (minus the scars and prior to Peter's hair spell) but betrayed by his voice, and screwed up his face, concentrating hard.

Harry gazed into the eyes that Teddy had inherited from the Blacks and honestly felt as though an emotional breakdown would soon be on its way. "You look just like your father but you have your mother's eyes."

Teddy laughed. "Irony doesn't suit you Harry."

"I can't believe I just said that," muttered Harry, his eyes wide and his hand resting on his forehead as he shook his head slowly.

"Oh, by the way," said Teddy, indicating towards one box that was still full of pictures. "I kept those for you. They're photos of your mum and dad and well, I didn't know them and given that, it would seem a little perverted to keep them so if you don't already have them, they're yours. Some of them are of Lovett too, I'm tempted to burn them in a mass pyre so when you find them, hand them over. I'm a right pyromaniac when I get going." He winked and Harry was able to release the breath he had been holding in fear.

"Now might be the time to tell you just how much you scare me Ted," laughed Harry. "You _and _your shrine," he added.

"Leave my shrine out of this."

Teddy smiled faintly and without warning, threw his arms around Harry's neck.

"Thank you."


End file.
